PubMed abstract / permitted excerpt

The American Thyroid Association (ATA) has published an update to the 2015 management guidelines for adult patients with thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). This updated version focuses solely on the management of differentiated thyroid cancer, offering a comprehensive set of guidelines for all stakeholders in the care of differentiated thyroid cancer, but no longer addresses the management of thyroid nodules in adults. Herein, we highlight the key updates and differences between the two versions, emphasizing those most pertinent to endocrine neck surgeons. These guidelines will form the basis for differentiated thyroid cancer care over the next few years, affecting millions of patients. For maximal impact, they will need to be widely disseminated, discussed, and dissected, to ultimately result in practice changes befitting the latest evidence-based care.