In recent years, the incidence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has increased globally. PTC with a maximum diameter = 1 cm (with or without lymph node metastasis) is defined as papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). PTMC is the fastest growing thyroid cancer, accounting for more than 50 percent of all new thyroid cancer. Some literature reports that PTMC is overdiagnosed and overtreated due to the stable mortality of thyroid cancer. Others believe that PTMC is not a low-risk cancer and should be treated actively. The controversies about diagnosis and treatment of PTMC are getting increasingly prominent, such as:
- Can close follow-up observation replace surgery as the main treatment strategy for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma?
- Are there suitable molecular diagnostic markers for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma?
- Whether ablation therapy is suitable for the treatment of PTMC?
- What is the difference in biological behaviour and prognosis between PTMC and PTC?
- Suitable surgical methods for PTMC.
- Whether there is overdiagnosis and overtreatment for PTMC?
- How to distinguish between low-risk and high-risk PTMC?
So how to optimize the management of PTMC is an urgent clinical problem. More studies and evidence are needed reach a consensus.
This Research Topic aims to obtain more information to help us better understanding PTMC from all aspects, including surgery, pathology, imaging, endocrinology, nuclear medicine, etc., covering also its metastasis. It enables us to have a deeper understanding of the biological behaviour and prognosis of PTMC, so as to develop more rational diagnosis and treatment strategies.
Article type: Original Research, Brief Communication, Reviews, Mini Review, Case report.
In recent years, the incidence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has increased globally. PTC with a maximum diameter = 1 cm (with or without lymph node metastasis) is defined as papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). PTMC is the fastest growing thyroid cancer, accounting for more than 50 percent of all new thyroid cancer. Some literature reports that PTMC is overdiagnosed and overtreated due to the stable mortality of thyroid cancer. Others believe that PTMC is not a low-risk cancer and should be treated actively. The controversies about diagnosis and treatment of PTMC are getting increasingly prominent, such as:
- Can close follow-up observation replace surgery as the main treatment strategy for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma?
- Are there suitable molecular diagnostic markers for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma?
- Whether ablation therapy is suitable for the treatment of PTMC?
- What is the difference in biological behaviour and prognosis between PTMC and PTC?
- Suitable surgical methods for PTMC.
- Whether there is overdiagnosis and overtreatment for PTMC?
- How to distinguish between low-risk and high-risk PTMC?
So how to optimize the management of PTMC is an urgent clinical problem. More studies and evidence are needed reach a consensus.
This Research Topic aims to obtain more information to help us better understanding PTMC from all aspects, including surgery, pathology, imaging, endocrinology, nuclear medicine, etc., covering also its metastasis. It enables us to have a deeper understanding of the biological behaviour and prognosis of PTMC, so as to develop more rational diagnosis and treatment strategies.
Article type: Original Research, Brief Communication, Reviews, Mini Review, Case report.
