Active surveillance of low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma

Recently, the incidence of thyroid carcinoma has been increasing rapidly worldwide. This is interpreted as an increase in the inci-dental detection of small papillary thyroid carcinomas by the widespread use of high-resolution imaging techniques such as ultrasonography. However, the mortality rates of thyroid carci-noma have not changed, suggesting that small papillary thyroid carcinomas may be overdiagnosed and overtreated. Active sur-veillance management has been introduced from Japan since the 1990s, as one of the measures to prevent overtreatment of low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. Based on the favorable out-comes, active surveillance has been gradually adopted worldwide as an alternative to immediate surgery. The management should be carried out with strict eligibility criteria and close monitoring for cancer progression, under a multidisciplinary team. In addition, an adequate shared decision-making is mandatory for individual patients. Papillary thyroid microcarcinomas with clinically apparent lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, or invasion to adjacent organs should have surgery.(c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The incidence of thyroid carcinoma has been increasing rapidly worldwide, mainly due to the incidental detection of small papillary thyroid carcinomas through high-resolution imaging techniques. However, the mortality rates of thyroid carcinoma have not changed, suggesting overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Active surveillance has been introduced as an alternative to immediate surgery, with strict eligibility criteria and close monitoring for cancer progression. Adequate shared decision-making is crucial, and surgery is recommended for clinically apparent metastasis or invasion.