title: Treatment decisions and adherence to guidelines in the treatment of low risk papillary carcinoma of the thyroid.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treatment guidelines for well-differentiated papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) are based on retrospective studies and vary among professional thyroid associations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate physician adherence to guidelines, overall and by specialty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaires on the approach to low risk PTC were distributed among 51 surgeons and endocrinologists treating patients with PTC in tertiary medical centers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A wide range of answers was recorded among physicians regarding the danger posed by low risk PTC to the patient's life, urgency with which treatment should be administered, type of treatment, and risks associated with this treatment. There was a significant between-group difference in treatment preference: endocrinologists chose total thyroidectomy with radioactive iodine, while surgeons favored hemithyroidectomy alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a wide difference in treatment recommendations between treating physicians and different specialties with regard to low risk PTC. The wide variation within and between soecialties may be explained by biases.
authors.forename: Ohad
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hilly
authors.forename: Sagit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stern-Shavit
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iran
authors.forename: Raphael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Feinmesser
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D004704:Endocrinology / Q000379:methods*; D013502:General Surgery / Q000379:methods*; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007557:Israel; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods*; D020379:Risk Adjustment / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes