Rethinking papillary thyroid cancer: Why “low risk” isn’t always low impact

Rethinking papillary thyroid cancer: Why “low risk” isn’t always low impact Oliver Bathe, Professor of Surgery and Oncology at the University of Calgary and CEO of Qualisure Diagnostics, urges us to rethink papillary thyroid cancer, noting that “low risk” isn’t always synonymous with low impact. Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common form of thyroid cancer and one of the fastest-growing cancer diagnoses in most developed countries. Because it typically grows slowly and has a high survival rate, it is often described as a “good cancer.” But this phrase conceals the real challenges patients and doctors face when deciding how to treat it. Behind the reassuring statistics is a serious clinical dilemma: deciding how much treatment is enough. While most people with PTC will not experience a recurrence, about 10–15% will. Unfortunately, our current tools don’t allow doctors to reliably identify which patients are at the highest risk before surgery, leading to a cascade of problems for patients and the healthcare system.