Active Surveillance of Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma: A Mini-Review from Korea.
10.3803/EnM.2017.32.4.399
- Author:
Tae Yong KIM
1
;
Young Kee SHONG
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. tykim@amc.seoul.kr
- Publication Type:Clinical Trial ; Review
- Keywords:
Thyroid neoplasms;
Active surveillance
- MeSH:
Humans;
Incidence;
Korea*;
Patient Selection;
Prospective Studies;
Thyroid Gland*;
Thyroid Neoplasms
- From:Endocrinology and Metabolism
2017;32(4):399-406
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
In Korea, the incidence of thyroid cancer increased explosively in the early 2000s, and reached a plateau in the early 2010s. Most cases of newly diagnosed thyroid cancer are small indolent microcarcinoma and could be good candidates for active surveillance (AS) instead of immediate surgery. Many considerations must be taken into account for establishing selection criteria for candidates for AS of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC), including the characteristics of the tumor, the patient, and the medical team. If possible, AS of PTMC should be a part of a prospective clinical trial to ensure long-term safety and to identify clinical and/or molecular markers of the progression of PTMC. In this review, we discuss lessons regarding surgical interventions for PTMC, and then describe the concept, application, caveats, unanswered questions, and future perspectives of AS of PTMC. For appropriately selected patients with PTMC, AS can be a good alternative to immediate surgery.
