[Thyroid carcinoma--contemporary diagnostic principles and treatment]

Thyroid cancer, which is a rare neoplasm, is still controversial issue. References approved in Poland in 1995 caused unification of the extension of thyroid surgery to total resection of thyroid gland in case of cancer. For many surgeons such a radical treatment is still doubtful. On the other hand thyroid cancer is an object of many studies because of its heterogenous clinical course and prognosis depending of histological type. This article focuses on modern principles of diagnosis, treatment and follow-up according to obligatory references in Poland. The authors show current epidemiological data, prognosis according to histological type of cancer and explain pathogenesis of the disease. Preoperative diagnostic model has been described including role of ultrasound examination, biopsy, cytology and histology examination. Special interest was taken to follow-up patients after total thyroidectomy emphasising the role of thyreglobin in early detection of cancer recurrence. It is also important to observed patients for the rest of their life because cancer recurrences have been reported even 40 years after surgery. Preoperative diagnosis and treatment is a typical example of multi-disciplinary procedure which should be held in specialistic centres with proper equipment and experience.