Decisions regarding cancer treatments are important and complex and as such are undertaken within multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs). MDTs bring together doctors and nurses and other supporting healthcare workers who specialise on a daily basis in thyroid cancer care and work together with patients to support them in understanding and making treatment decisions. Specialty groups working together in the MDT include thyroid surgeons, endocrinologists, oncologists, pathologists, and radiologists.
There is currently no established role for minimally invasive image guided techniques for cancer treatment in the UK. Internationally there is a growing interest in researching the role of thyroid ablation in treating very small (less than 1 to 2 cm) low-risk papillary thyroid cancers (PTCs). PTCs are the most commonly diagnosed tumours and tend to grow more slowly and spread less commonly than other thyroid cancer types. Small PTCs can be managed with surgery or potentially within ‘active’ surveillance programmes. Further research and investigation is necessary to understand the role of ablation in these patients. A thyroid cancer specialist should be consulted for detailed information on appropriate treatment options in individual cases.
