Lobectomy or total thyroidectomy in pediatric differentiated thyroid cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Topic overview

Key takeaways

• Pediatric thyroid cancer differs from adult disease in presentation, management, and outcomes—requiring age-specific treatment strategies.
• Total thyroidectomy vs. lobectomy remains a key surgical decision point in pediatric DTC, balancing radicality with morbidity.
• Recurrence and mortality rates differ between surgical approaches; meta-analysis data can guide individualized surgical planning.
• Conservative lobectomy may be appropriate in select pediatric DTC cases, challenging the historical default of total thyroidectomy.
• Contemporary evidence supports tailoring surgical extent to tumor characteristics and patient factors rather than one-size-fits-all resection.

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