Abstract:

Regarding the surgical treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) in the 2025 American Thyroid Association Management Guidelines for Adult Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Cancer (abbreviation ATA guideline), the overall trend is that for patients in the low-risk group, the surgical scope tends to be more conservative, while for cases in the intermediate-risk group, more individualized treatment is adopted. It emphasizes that the treatment plan should be selected based on the extent of disease, clinical stage, tumor characteristics, and patient preferences. When determining initial treatment goals, shared decision-making with the patient is crucial. When recommending treatment plans, patient preferences must be taken into account as appropriate. For patients who choose surgical treatment, the primary goal is to resect the primary tumor and metastatic lymph nodes. The completeness of surgical resection is an important factor determining prognosis. The main goals should be: reducing the risk of persistent/recurrent disease and metastatic spread, and minimizing treatment-related complications. It is essential to weigh the benefits and risks of surgery; for instance, the burden and harm to the patient caused by permanent hypoparathyroidism may outweigh the thyroid cancer itself. This article summarizes the important progress of the 2025 ATA guidelines in the field of surgery, in order to provide reference for thyroid cancer physicians.

Key words: Thyroidectomy, Thyroid cancer, Guidelines, Interpretation