The long-term clinical outcome of the PTC patients who had been treated by lobectomy without RAI ablation was excellent. Based on the above results, we concluded that lobectomy is a valid alternative to total thyroidectomy for the treatment of PTC patients who are younger than aged 45 years, whose tumor diameter is 40 mm or less, and who do not have clinical lymph node metastasis or extrathyroidal invasion.

genes. In all, 71 kidney surgical samples were evaluated using reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for GLUT1-14 in normal and tumour (clear cell, papillary and chromophobe RCC, and oncocytoma) tissues. The expression levels for GLUT1-5, 9, 10 and 12 were quantified by real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTSThe RT-PCR results showed that normal kidney tissue expresses all the GLUT isoforms. In clear cell RCC GLUT1 expression increased ( P < 0.001) while GLUT4, 9 and 12 decreased ( P < 0.001). In papillary RCC there were no significant increases in GLUT expression, with only GLUT12 significantly expressed at lower levels ( P < 0.001). In chromophobe RCC the expression of GLUT4 increased ( P < 0.05), and GLUT2 and 5 decreased ( P < 0.01), whereas in oncocytoma tissue there were no significant changes in the expression of GLUT1 ( P < 0.01), 2, 5, 9 ( P < 0.001) and 10 ( P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONSThese results suggest that high-affinity GLUTs might have a major role in enhanced glucose uptake in kidney tumours, and that histopathological types are characterized by specific patterns of GLUT expression.

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The number of patients with advanced cancer has been declining in recent years. Lobectomy with prophylactic unilateral central neck dissection is considered acceptable for patients without the risk factors for recurrence.

Malignant cells demonstrate increased glucose uptake and utilization. Immunohistochemical studies have suggested that enhanced glucose uptake in cancer cells may be caused by the overexpression of glucose transporters (GLUTs), in most cases GLUT1 and/or GLUT3. The aim of this study was to examine in detail the expression pattern and levels of GLUT genes in normal and pathologic thyroid tissues and to evaluate the clinical significance of GLUT mRNA levels. One hundred fifty-two surgically resected thyroid tissue samples from 103 patients were evaluated. Samples included: normal thyroid tissue (n = 58), benign thyroid disease (n = 61), and thyroid carcinoma (n = 33). Expression of the GLUT1, GLUT2, GLUT3, GLUT4, and GLUT10 genes were examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and mRNA levels were quantitated by real-time RT-PCR. All thyroid parenchymal cells expressed GLUT1, GLUT3, GLUT4, and GLUT10. GLUT1 showed increased expression in carcinoma cases (p < 0.0001) and also in comparison with paired normal tissue samples from the same patient (p < 0.0001). Other GLUTs were statistically unchanged in pathologic tissues. These results are consistent with the theory that GLUT1 is upregulated during carcinogenesis and may play a major role in enhanced glucose uptake in thyroid cancer cells.