Discussion

DR MELANIE GOLDFARB (Santa Monica, CA): When we discuss any cancer treatment, especially in younger patients, we must balance the benefits and risks. Total thyroidectomy, with its increased surgical complications in low-volume surgeons and definitive postoperative hypothyroidism in developing children, might not be necessary for all thyroid cancers. Yet the dogma has always strayed from doing anything less because of the long survivorship after cancer, increased radiosensitivity of pediatric thyroid glands, and the presumed ability to more accurately monitor for recurrence.
Source: Journal of the American College of Surgeons - Category: Surgery Tags: Discussion Source Type: research