clinical practice guidelines
Annals of Oncology 21 (Supplement 5): v214–v219, 2010 doi:10.1093/annonc/mdq190
Thyroid cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up F. Pacini1, M. G. Castagna1, L. Brilli1 & G. Pentheroudakis2 On behalf of the ESMO Guidelines Working Group* 1 Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism and Biochemistry, Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; 2Department of Medical Oncology, Ioannina University Hospital, Ioannina, Greece
incidence
*Correspondence to: ESMO Guidelines Working Group, ESMO Head Office, Via L. Taddei 4, CH-6962 Viganello-Lugano, Switzerland; E-mail:
[email protected] Approved by the ESMO Guidelines Working Group: February 2008, last update December 2009. This publication supercedes the previously published version—Ann Oncol 2009; 20 (Suppl 4): iv143–iv146. Conflict of interest: The authors have reported no conflicts of interest.
diagnosis Thyroid cancer presents as a thyroid nodule detected by palpation and more frequently by neck ultrasound. While thyroid nodules are frequent (4%–50% depending on the diagnostic procedures and patient’s age), thyroid cancer is rare (5% of all thyroid nodules). Thyroid ultrasound (US) is a widespread technique that is used as a first-line diagnostic procedure for detecting and characterizing nodular thyroid disease. US features associated with malignancy are hypoechogenicity, microcalcifications, absence of peripheral halo, irregular borders, solid aspect, intranodular blood flow and shape (taller than wide). All these patterns taken singly are poorly predictive. When multiple patterns suggestive of malignancy are simultaneously present in a nodule, the specificity of US increases but the sensitivity becomes unacceptably low. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is an important technique that is used along with US for the diagnosis of thyroid nodules. FNAC should be performed in any thyroid nodule >1 cm and in those
