Thyroid cancer is common. Fortunately, most forms of thyroid cancer are slow-growing, and most patients do very well, with an excellent prognosis. Even when thyroid cancer can’t be cured, patients may live long lives and not die of the cancer. Very rarely, thyroid cancer can be advanced and cause patients to die. There are 2 general types of thyroid cancer: differentiated thyroid cancer — the most common type and includes papillary, follicular and oncocytic thyroid cancer — and medullary thyroid cancer — a relative rare form that may run in families. These guidelines refer to the management of differentiated thyroid cancer.

Treatment of thyroid cancer usually begins with removal of a thyroid lobe (lobectomy) or the whole thyroid (total thyroidectomy). However, with some small thyroid cancers, following by ultrasound and deferring surgery (active surveillance) is an option.

In some more advanced thyroid cancer, radioactive iodine therapy may be used to destroy any remaining thyroid cancer cells, even if they have spread outside of the thyroid and outside of the neck. Finally, some patients with advanced thyroid cancer may be treated with radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

Periodically, experts in thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment come together and develop guidelines to treat all aspects of thyroid cancer. In 2009 and 2015, the American Thyroid Association (ATA) published guidelines for the management of thyroid cancer. In 2025, these guidelines were updated.

The following 2 papers discuss 2 important updates that the 2025 ATA thyroid cancer guidelines for the management of thyroid cancer: Extent of initial surgery and Risk stratification.

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