Thyroid Cancer in Pediatrics

Well differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) in children is characterized by a high rate of response to treatment and low disease-specific mortality. Treatment of children with DTC has evolved toward a greater reliance on evaluation and monitoring with serial serum thyroglobulin measurements and ultrasound examinations. Radioiodine therapy is recommended for thyroid remnant ablation in high-risk patients, treatment of demonstrated radioiodine-avid local-regional disease not amenable to surgical resection, or distant radioiodine-avid metastatic disease. Sufficient time should be given for benefits of radioiodine therapy to be realized, with follow-up monitoring. Re-treatment with radioiodine can be deferred until progression of significant disease manifests.