Endocrine Abstracts

Thyroid nodules are common, but the incidence of thyroid cancer occurring within them is very low. Nonetheless, patients presenting with thyroid lumps are frequently worried that they have cancer, and the wait for a diagnosis to be confirmed or refuted is highly stressful. This presents challenges to the clinician, in determining who requires extensive investigations, and how best to reassure patients in whom this is not indicated. However, satisfied patients are more likely t...

Background: Early diagnosis of thyroid cancer has a significant impact on outcome. However, the identification of incidental microcarcinomas potentially leads to raised anxiety and overtreatment in some cases. Ultrasound (US) guided FNA is therefore the initial investigation of choice, and NICE recommends that patients presenting clinically with a thyroid lump or swelling should be seen by a specialist within two weeks of the referral. We launched a multidisciplinary thyroid l...