Robotic surgery may offer better looks and same safety for thyroid cancer
NCT ID NCT07229859
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looked at 332 people with low-risk papillary thyroid cancer that had spread to neck lymph nodes. Researchers compared robotic surgery (done through small cuts in the armpit and breast) with traditional open surgery. They wanted to see if the robotic method removes cancer just as well, causes fewer complications, and leaves a nicer-looking scar. The results could help patients choose a surgery that is both effective and cosmetic.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- robotic surgery via bilateral axillo-breast approach
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that robotic neck surgery is a safe and effective alternative to open surgery for certain thyroid cancers, offering better cosmetic results without compromising cancer control.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a randomized trial, so results may be less definitive. The robotic approach may not be suitable for all patients, and there is a risk of complications like nerve injury or bleeding.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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332 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2018
- Finished
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Jan 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Study population came from a single high-volume thyroid center, with all surgeries performed by the same surgeon.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * (1) PTC with lateral LN metastasis confirmed by fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy; * (2) maximum tumor size \< 3 cm; * (3) without extrathyroidal extension; * (4) metastatic LNs in unilateral levels II, III, IV and/or V; * (5) number of suspicious metastatic LNs based on preoperative ultrasonography \< 5; * (6) maximum metastatic LN diameter \< 3 cm. Exclusion Criteria: * (1) metastatic LNs in level I or VII; * (2) metastatic LNs fused with each other or fixed in the neck or extra-nodal extension; * (3) history of neck surgery or radiation therapy; * (4) extranodal extension; * (5) the presence of TERT mutation.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine
Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200025, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.