Surgical management of thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine neoplasm; however, it only accounts for less than 1% of all human malignances. Thyroid cancers are divided into well differentiated and non-well differentiated cancers, according to their histology and behavior. The surgical management options of well-differentiated thyroid cancer include total or near-total thyroidectomy, subtotal thyroidectomy and lobectomy plus isthmusectomy. The extent of surgery for thyroid cancer continues to be an area of controversy. Complications associated with thyroid surgery are directly proportional to the extent of thyroidectomy and inversely proportional to the experience of the operating surgeon. They occur less frequently with good surgical technique and better understanding of surgical anatomy, and include wound healing and infections (seroma, hematoma and wound infection), nerve injury, hypoparathyroidism, hypothyroidism, postoperative hemorrhage and respiratory obstruction.