New Guidelines Available For the Management of Thyroid Cancer

New-evidence based recommendations from the American Thyroid Association (ATA) have been released and published in the journal Thyroid.¹

Due to the significant advances since the previously published guidelines from 2009, the 2015 guidelines have updated information in regard to the initial patient evaluation, biopsy criteria, and interpretation of biopsy results, molecular markers, and management of benign thyroid nodules.

The new guidelines also increasingly focus on screening, staging, risk assessment, and treatment approaches such as surgical procedures, radioiodine therapy, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) suppression with levothyroxine.

In regard to long-term management of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), they also provide insight on using imaging and serum thyroglobulin to monitor for recurrent disease, thyroid hormone therapy, when to enroll in clinical trials, and using personalized, targeted therapies.

Peter A. Kopp, MD, editor-in-chief of Thyroid and associate professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL, stated “The updated guidelines integrate an impressive amount of new information and significant advances which impact the management of patients representing thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. They provide a superb framework for the evaluation, treatment, and surveillance of these patients.”¹

Reference

1. American Thyroid Association. New guidelines for managing thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer in adults published in thyroid journal. American Thyroid Association website. http://www.thyroid.org/guidelines-differentiated-published/. Published October 15, 2015. Accessed October 22, 2015.