Background: Advances in diagnostic methods have led to an early detection of thyroid nodules with debatable malignant potential in numerous cases. This can result in a potential overtreatment of thyroid lesions with very good prognosis.
Objectives: To avoid surgical overtreatment, an individualized, risk-adapted management is required that respects the different tumor biology of the underlying histological entities.
Methods: The current guidelines of the leading professional societies, the American Thyroid Association (ATA) and the German Association of Endocrine Surgeons (CAEK), were compared and critically studied, to describe risk-adapted, more conservative treatment options for certain types of thyroid neoplasms according to the 2017 WHO definition.
Results: The German CAEK recommends thyroidectomy as a routine operation in the case of thyroid carcinoma. Exceptions are papillary thyroid microcarcinoma and minimally invasive follicular thyroid carcinoma, which can be treated by lobectomy. The ATA proposes an "active surveillance" for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma and lobectomy in cases of differentiated thyroid carcinoma <4 cm in diameter in the absence of clearly predefined risk factors.
Conclusions: The pre- or intraoperative pathological diagnosis of the underlying tumor entity is the key point, which allows for an adaption of the resection strategy for thyroid malignancy. Depending on the type of carcinoma, the current guidelines of international expert societies allow for parenchyma-sparing operations and, according to the ATA, even an "active surveillance."
Keywords: Active surveillance; Follicular thyroid carcinoma; Papillary thyroid carcinoma; Thyroidectomy.