Background: Papillary or follicular thyroid carcinomas exhibit a relatively benign course. Hence, long-term follow-up studies with well-defined disease stages and treatment details are needed to evaluate treatment strategies.
Methods: Patients who underwent complete resection of well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC) confined to the thyroid gland between 1972 and 1990 identified from a prospective database were assessed.