Management of follicular tumors of the thyroid

Minerva Chir. 2007 Oct;62(5):373-82.

Abstract

The incidence of well-differentiated thyroid cancers is rising. Follicular cancer represents 10-20% of these lesions. While the vast majority of thyroid nodules of follicular origin are benign, fine needle aspiration cannot provide cytologic evidence of capsular and/or vascular invasion; therefore, patients should undergo surgical excision. Frozen section is not recommended for intraoperative evaluation of follicular neoplasia. Patients deemed to have follicular cancer require near-total or total thyroidectomy and postoperative (131)I ablation. The optimal management of minimally invasive follicular cancer remains an area of controversy, but long-term prognosis for these patients is excellent. Areas of research should focus on identification of molecular markers of malignancy and aggressiveness of follicular neoplasia.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / diagnosis*
  • Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / genetics
  • Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / pathology
  • Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / surgery*
  • Biopsy, Fine-Needle
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Prognosis
  • Risk Factors
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / genetics
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / pathology
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Thyroidectomy*
  • Treatment Outcome