Screening for Thyroid Cancer
- Study type
- Clinical guideline
- Study name
- USPSTF Thyroid Cancer Screening 2017
- Design
- Recommendation statement (clinical guideline) based on an evidence review
- Source
- JAMA · 2017
In plain words
Thyroid cancer has been diagnosed more often in recent years, but the number of deaths has not gone up, and most patients have a good outlook. The experts' review showed that screening tests or ultrasound in people without symptoms are of little benefit and may lead to diagnosing and treating tumours that would never have caused harm. For this reason, the group does not recommend thyroid cancer screening in adults without symptoms. If you have a symptom such as a lump in the neck, be sure to talk with your doctor.
Key points
Key guideline recommendations
- D
The USPSTF recommends against screening for thyroid cancer in asymptomatic adults.
Study population
Asymptomatic adults (thyroid cancer screening in the asymptomatic population).
Endpoints
Review of evidence on the benefits and harms of thyroid cancer screening in asymptomatic adults, the diagnostic accuracy of screening (including neck palpation and ultrasound), and the benefits and harms of treating screen-detected thyroid cancer.
Safety and side effects
The Task Force found inadequate direct evidence on the harms of screening, but adequate evidence of harms of treatment and indirect evidence that overdiagnosis and overtreatment in population screening are likely to be substantial; the overall magnitude of the harms of screening and treatment was therefore assessed as at least moderate.
Clinical significance and place in guidelines
Based on this statement, routine thyroid cancer screening in asymptomatic adults is not recommended (grade D), because its net benefit is estimated to be negative. The recommendation applies to people without symptoms. Its status in more recent guidelines should be checked.
Limitations
There was inadequate direct evidence on the benefits and on the harms of screening. The estimates of benefits (at most small) and harms (at least moderate) are based on indirect and observational evidence.
This summary was prepared by the editorial team from the published paper; the original paper is the final reference. Read the original abstract on PubMed.