Papillary lesions of indolent course: reducing the overdiagnosis of indolent papillary thyroid cancer and unnecessary treatment

Peter, 43 years of age, presents with an acute exacerbation of chronic neck pain. Peter is on biologicals to treat his inflammatory bowel disease, which triggers an aggressive investigation, including an MRI. This examination was negative except for a 1.5-cm thyroid nodule. A fine-needle biopsy revealed papillary thyroid cancer. After total thyroidectomy that removed the cancer completely, Peter received one dose of radioactive iodine and a prescription for daily levothyroxine to replace his thyroid hormone. Peter is now a cancer survivor.

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