Imaging for staging and management of thyroid cancer

The management of thyroid cancer has been controversial and, as a result, the routine use of imaging in this disease, especially for pre-operative staging, has lagged behind other head and neck cancers. However, as more is known about the natural history of thyroid cancer, the role of imaging is becoming more established. This review focuses on how imaging now influences the staging and management of the primary cancer, nodal metastases and distant metastases. This is followed by a brief review of the role of imaging in planning post-operative radiotherapy and post-treatment surveillance.