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Comparative Study of Transaxillary Robotic Thyroidectomy With MRND Versus Conventional Open Surgery in N1b PTC

Comparative Study of Transaxillary Robotic Thyroidectomy With Modified Radical Neck Dissection Versus Conventional Open Surgery in Patients With Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma and Lateral Neck Node Metastases: a Prospective Multicenter Randomized Controlled Study

Status
Recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06623578
Enrollment
876
Registered
2024-10-02
Start date
2024-09-23
Completion date
2033-12-31
Last updated
2025-12-03

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Lymphatic Metastasis, Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Brief summary

Thyroid cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women, ranking seventh in the United States and fourth in China. Papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most common pathological type (about 85% to 90% of thyroid cancers), and lateral cervical lymph node metastasis can reach 0.6-37.5% at diagnosis. For papillary thyroid cancer with lateral cervical lymph node metastasis, the 2015 ATA Guidelines in the United States recommend surgical resection and neck lymph node dissection as the primary treatment. Traditional cervical lymph node dissection often leaves obvious scars in the neck, which seriously affects the postoperative quality of life of patients. The previous studies have shown that endoscopy-assisted surgery with external cervical approach can achieve oncologic effects similar to traditional open surgery in the treatment of N1b papillary thyroid cancer, and can obtain better aesthetic results. However, endoscopic surgery still has some shortcomings, such as poor exposure of some surgical areas and difficult operation. Since November 2016, the investigators tried to apply modified transaxillary robotic-assisted surgery technology to the treatment of thyroid papillary carcinoma in China. The preliminary study included 30 patients, and the results showed that robot-assisted surgery via combined transaxillary-retroaural approach in the treatment of N1b papillary thyroid carcinoma achieved a good oncologic effect (5-year overall survival rate was 100.0%). As the surgical techniques improved, now the investigators can complete robotic-assisted lateral neck lymph node dissection via single-incision transaxillary approach. However, there is still a lack of high-quality evidence on the long-term oncologic outcome and quality of life of this procedure. In this study, a prospective, multi-center, randomized controlled study was conducted to compare the safety, long-term oncologic outcomes and postoperative quality of life of the robot-assisted surgery via single-incision transaxillary approach and open surgery in the treatment of N1b papillary thyroid cancer, which may provide an alternative for the patients with N1b papillary thyroid cancer.

Interventions

robotic-assisted surgery via single-incision transaxillary approach

PROCEDUREOpen Surgery

conventional open surgery

Sponsors

Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Age 18-70 years old, male or female; * papillary thyroid carcinoma with ipsilateral lateral cervical lymph node metastasis confirmed by FNAB; * thyroid tumor of less than 3.0 cm in the largest diameter; * lack of extrathyroidal extensions as estimated by preoperative ultrasonography and CT.

Exclusion criteria

* level I or contralateral neck node metastases. * enlarged lymph node of larger than 2.0 cm in the short diameter. * suspected perinodal infiltration of metastatic lymph nodes. * cervical or/and thoracic deformity. * life-threatening diseases of liver, kidney, heart and other organs, or abnormal coagulation function. * clinical evidence of distant metastases such as in the lung, bone, and so on. * history of previous neck surgery and/or radiation therapy. * intolerable to general anesthesia * refuse either surgical procedure * unwilling to cooperate with long-term follow-up evaluation.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
the disease-free survival rate60 monthsThe 5-year survival rate without a functional, structural, or biological event
Postoperative quality of life:36-Item Short-Form Survey12 monthsThe quality of life is assessed by 36-Item Short-Form Survey (SF-36) 1 year after surgery, and the differences in physical and physiological dimensions between the two groups were compared. The higher scores mean a better outcome.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The dynamic change trend of the postoperative quality of life60 monthsThe postoperative quality of life is assessed using 36-Item Short-Form Survey to explore the dynamic change. The higher scores mean a better outcome.
The dynamic change of swallowing function60 monthsSwallowing function is assessed using Swallowing Impairment Index 6 (0-24) to explore the dynamic change. The higher scores mean a worse outcome.
Overall survival(OS)60 monthsThe time from randomization to death from any cause
The dynamic change trend of aesthetic satisfaction60 monthsAesthetic satisfaction is assessed using verbal response scale (0-10) to explore the dynamic change. The higher scores mean a better outcome.
The dynamic change trend of voice function60 monthsVoice function is assessed using Voice Handicap Index 10 (0-40) to explore the dynamic change. The higher scores mean a worse outcome.
The dynamic change trend of neck function60 monthsNeck function is assessed using Ten-item Neck Dissection Impairment Index (0-100) to explore the dynamic change. The higher scores mean a better outcome.
The dynamic change trend of shoulder function60 monthsShoulder function is assessed using arm abduction test (0-5) to explore the dynamic change. The higher scores mean a better outcome.

Countries

China

Contacts

Primary ContactLin
linpliang3@mail.sysu.edu.cn0086-020-34071439

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026