title: Management of follicular tumors of the thyroid.
abstract: The incidence of well-differentiated thyroid cancers is rising. Follicular cancer represents 10-20% of these lesions. While the vast majority of thyroid nodules of follicular origin are benign, fine needle aspiration cannot provide cytologic evidence of capsular and/or vascular invasion; therefore, patients should undergo surgical excision. Frozen section is not recommended for intraoperative evaluation of follicular neoplasia. Patients deemed to have follicular cancer require near-total or total thyroidectomy and postoperative (131)I ablation. The optimal management of minimally invasive follicular cancer remains an area of controversy, but long-term prognosis for these patients is excellent. Areas of research should focus on identification of molecular markers of malignancy and aggressiveness of follicular neoplasia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sosa
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome