October - December 2014, Volume 10, Issue 4

Ursu HI

Consensus on Current Guidelines for the Management of Thyroid Cancer

Acta Endo (Buc) 2014, 10 (4): 707-712
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2014.707

British Thyroid Association Guidelines for the management of thyroid cancer (third edition) was published recently (July 2014). The most common presentation of thyroid cancer is a newly discovered thyroid nodule or increase in size of a preexisting nodule. The long-term outcome of patients treated effectively for differentiated thyroid carcinoma is usually favorable. Nine per cent of patients with a diagnosis of thyroid cancer die of their disease. All patients with thyroid cancer should be seen within a multidisciplinary team (MDT) framework. Supra-physiological doses of levothyroxine are used to reduce the risk of thyroid cancer recurrence. The surgeon should have training and expertise in the management of thyroid cancer and be a core member of the MDT. Tumor recurrence or progression can be diagnosed earlier by detecting a raised serum thyroglobulin (Tg) after TSH stimulation (sTg) than by measurement of Tg on suppressive levothyroxine therapy.

Keywords: thyroid carcinoma, guidelines, surgery, radioiodine therapy, levothyroxine.

Correspondence: Horea Ioan Ursu MD, “C. I. Parhon” Institute of Endocrinology - Thyroid disease, 34-36 Aviatorilor blvd., Bucharest, 011863, Romania, E-mail: horeaursu@hotmail.com