Jang SW, Park JH, Kwon HJ, et al. - Studies have described a significant prognostic value of primary tumor size (PTS) in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) undergoing thyroidectomy. The widely used cutoff values are 2 and 4 cm in surgical extent decision and long-term outcomes predictions, however, there remains uncertainty concerning the effectiveness of arbitrary cutoff values in stratifying patients for target outcomes. Researchers herein sought for new optimal cutoffs of PTS.

• In this retrospective review,  529 patients with PTC who underwent total thyroidectomy were assessed.

• Findings support the independent value of PTS as a risk factor for structural recurrence.

• The calculated optimal cutoff values were 1.4 and 3.0 cm.

• Significantly different RFS and DRS were recorded for the subgroups stratified using these newly determined cutoffs based on the response to initial therapy, but not for the subgroups classified using the cutoffs of 2 and 4 cm.

• Using the newly determined cutoff values of PTS, better stratification of the patients with PTC undergoing thyroidectomy for target outcomes can be done.