Endocrinol Metab.  2018 Jun;33(2):185-194. 10.3803/EnM.2018.33.2.185.

Management of Low-Risk Papillary Thyroid Cancer

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
  • 2Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. brito.juan@mayo.edu
  • 3Knowledge and Evaluation Research Unit, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

Abstract

The incidence of thyroid cancer has increased, mainly due to the incidental finding of low-risk papillary thyroid cancers (PTC). These malignancies grow slowly, and are unlikely to cause morbidity and mortality. New understanding about the prognosis of tumor features has led to reclassification of many tumors within the low-risk thyroid category, and to the development of a new one "very low-risk tumors." Alternative less aggressive approaches to therapy are now available including active surveillance and minimally invasive interventions. In this narrative review, we have summarized the available evidence for the management of low-risk PTC.

Keyword

Low-risk; Carcinoma, papillary; Micropapillary; Active surveillance; Ethanol injection

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Papillary
Incidence
Incidental Findings
Mortality
Prognosis
Thyroid Gland*
Thyroid Neoplasms*

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Approach to low-risk papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). RAI, radioactive iodine.


Cited by  3 articles

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Clinical Outcomes after Early and Delayed Radioiodine Remnant Ablation in Patients with Low-Risk Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: Propensity Score Matching Analysis
Jonghwa Ahn, Meihua Jin, Eyun Song, Min Ji Jeon, Tae Yong Kim, Jin-Sook Ryu, Won Bae Kim, Young Kee Shong, Ji Min Han, Won Gu Kim
Endocrinol Metab. 2020;35(4):830-837.    doi: 10.3803/EnM.2020.747.

Lactate Dehydrogenase A as a Potential New Biomarker for Thyroid Cancer
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