In thyroid cancer, which surgical approach is commonly used?

In thyroid cancer, which surgical approach is commonly used?

• A. Total Thyroidectomy
• B. Subtotal Thyroidectomy
• C. Total or Subtotal Thyroidectomy
• D. Radioiodine alone

Answer: (C)

In thyroid cancer, removing the bulk of the thyroid tissue is essential so that any remaining cancer cells can be treated and the patient can be effectively monitored afterward. The commonly used surgical approach is to remove most or all of the thyroid gland—either a total thyroidectomy or a near-total (subtotal) thyroidectomy. This comprehensive removal reduces the tumor burden, lowers the risk of persistent or recurrent disease, and enables the use of radioactive iodine to ablate any remaining thyroid or cancerous tissue and to improve postoperative surveillance with thyroglobulin as a tumor marker. Subtotal thyroidectomy may be chosen in select patients to spare some thyroid function, but it carries a higher chance of residual disease and complicates later monitoring. Radioiodine alone cannot substitute for surgery because it won’t remove established tumor mass, and it makes surveillance less reliable if normal thyroid tissue remains.

In thyroid cancer, removing the bulk of the thyroid tissue is essential so that any remaining cancer cells can be treated and the patient can be effectively monitored afterward. The commonly used surgical approach is to remove most or all of the thyroid gland—either a total thyroidectomy or a near-total (subtotal) thyroidectomy. This comprehensive removal reduces the tumor burden, lowers the risk of persistent or recurrent disease, and enables the use of radioactive iodine to ablate any remaining thyroid or cancerous tissue and to improve postoperative surveillance with thyroglobulin as a tumor marker. Subtotal thyroidectomy may be chosen in select patients to spare some thyroid function, but it carries a higher chance of residual disease and complicates later monitoring. Radioiodine alone cannot substitute for surgery because it won’t remove established tumor mass, and it makes surveillance less reliable if normal thyroid tissue remains.