Frans Geenen
Globally, there has been an increase in the incidence of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), primarily due to an increase in the incidental discovery of micro papillary thyroid carcinomas (microPTCs), many of which may have received unnecessary treatment based on the unchanging mortality rate. A less combative strategy has been recommended by several international guidelines. Active surveillance or minimally invasive therapies (MIT) have lately been proven to be effective alternatives for the management of these individuals. Participation of the patient in the decision-making process is crucial in this situation. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer's Endocrine Task Force (EORTC) has taken on the task of reaching agreement and defining its position based on the scientific evidence regarding 1) the current state of diagnostic and management options in microPTCs, including the current opinion of physicians regarding shared decision making (SDM), 2) the available evidence concerning patients' needs and the available decision instruments, and 3) to provide useful suggestions for implementing SDM in this context. Knowledge gaps and future research directions were emphasized in order to increase SDM and patients' participation [1-4].
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