Busan hospital research team publishes 10-year study on scar-free alternative to thyroid surgery

Baek Sun-mi (third from left in the front), director of Haeundae Sharing and Happiness Hospital, and other medical staff at the hospital's Thyroid Center pose during a ceremony to commemorate achieving 1,000 cases of radiofrequency ablation for thyroid cancer. (Haeundae Sharing and Happiness Hospital)

A research team at Haeundae Sharing and Happiness Hospital, a local hospital in Busan, published its study on the effectiveness and safety of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as a treatment for thyroid cancer in an international medical journal "Thyroid" last month, the hospital said in a statement released Monday.

The study demonstrates its 10-year track record of patients with low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma who underwent RFA treatment.

This study is regarded as the world's longest-running research demonstrating the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation, the hospital said.

The research was led by Baek Sun-mi, director of Haeundae Sharing and Happiness Hospital, and Baek Jung-hwan, a radiology professor at Asan Medical Center, with Jeong So-yeong, a radiology professor at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, as the first author.

The study tracked 65 patients who received RFA between May 2008 and December 2013, analyzing a total of 71 thyroid microcarcinomas over a follow-up period of more than 10 years.

RFA is a minimally invasive procedure that uses radio waves through a precisely placed needle to heat cancerous tissue under ultrasound guidance. It preserves both thyroid lobes, maintaining function and avoiding scars, according to Haeundae Sharing and Happiness Hospital. The 10-minute treatment requires no hospitalization, offering a simple yet effective alternative, according to the hospital.

The results showed that all tumors completely disappeared within two years. There were no cases of local recurrence, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis or thyroid cancer-related deaths. Reported side effects included one case of mild hypothyroidism requiring medication, accounting for 1.4 percent, two cases of bleeding and one case of second-degree burns.

Director Baek emphasized RFA as a potential paradigm shift in thyroid cancer treatment, given its ability to remove tumors without leaving surgical scars and its quick procedure time.

“RFA offers a viable alternative that effectively removes tumors while preserving quality of life,” she said. “Of course, it’s important to undergo thorough diagnosis to determine the most appropriate treatment option.”

Ultrasound images from the study published in "Thyroid" illustrate the gradual decrease and disappearance of microcalcifications in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma following radiofrequency ablation. (Haeundae Sharing and Happiness Hospital)