Active Surveillance Instead of Surgery for Thyroid Cancer


http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/885250


Active surveillance that incorporates three-dimensional monitoring of potential tumor growth may be a better choice for patients with small, low-risk papillary thyroid cancers (PTCs) than immediate surgery.
A cohort study of close to 300 patients undergoing active surveillance found that overall, rates of tumor growth were low and serial measurements of tumor volume could signal cancers that required therapeutic intervention.
The findings are published  in JAMA-Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery.
The American Thyroid Association recently endorsed active surveillance as an alternative to traditional treatment in carefully selected patients.

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