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Initial treatment of pediatric differentiated thyroid cancer: a review of the current risk-adaptive approach

  • Pediatric oncologic imaging
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Abstract

Differentiated thyroid cancer in children is a rare disease, accounting for only 1.4% of all pediatric malignancies. The diagnosis, biological behavior and treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer in children is different from that in adults. While there are many unresolved issues regarding approaches to management of differentiated thyroid cancer in the pediatric population, there is near universal consensus that treatment of this disease, which includes total thyroidectomy, central lymph node dissection at the time of initial surgery in those with nodal metastases, and the possible use of iodine-131 radiotherapy, is best performed by specialists including high-volume endocrine surgeons and experts with experience in calculating and administering radioactive iodine in children, when deemed appropriate.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine and Seattle Children’s Hospital, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, MA.7.220, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA

    Marguerite T. Parisi & Hedieh Khalatbari

  2. Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine and Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA

    Marguerite T. Parisi

  3. Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine and Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA

    Sanjay R. Parikh

  4. Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Adina Alazraki

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  1. Marguerite T. Parisi
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  2. Hedieh Khalatbari
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  3. Sanjay R. Parikh
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  4. Adina Alazraki
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Correspondence to Marguerite T. Parisi.

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Parisi, M.T., Khalatbari, H., Parikh, S.R. et al. Initial treatment of pediatric differentiated thyroid cancer: a review of the current risk-adaptive approach. Pediatr Radiol 49, 1391–1403 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-019-04457-7

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