Postoperative follow up in patients showing no evident residual disease - Cut-offs for imaging/ intervention

Abstract

The European Group generally agrees with the American guidelines on the issue of the indications for additional surgery in patients with recurrence of medullary thyroid cancer. The discussions have been focused mainly on the postoperative follow-up, where some European experts feel that a postoperative calcitonin-stimulating test is of some importance in assigning the patient to the Cured or Non-cured group immediately after surgery. A part of the European group feels that a negative calcitonin-stimulating test might lead to a less intensive follow-up in the late follow-up of these patients. © 2013 Minuto and Miccoli; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.