Overview of the 2022 WHO Classification of Thyroid Neoplasms
- Study type
- Review article
- Study name
- WHO 2022 Thyroid
- Design
- Narrative review of the changes in the fifth edition of the WHO classification of endocrine and neuroendocrine tumours (thyroid section)
- Sample size
- Not applicable (review article)
- Source
- Endocr Pathol · 2022
In plain words
The World Health Organization (WHO) has updated the list and names of the types of thyroid tumour so that pathologists everywhere use a common language. In this classification, tumours are grouped by the cell they start from, how they look under the microscope, their molecular features and how they are likely to behave. This helps make the diagnosis more accurate. For example, some tumours have been placed in a "low-risk" group. If your pathology report uses new names, talk with your treating doctor about what they mean and how they affect your treatment.
Key results
Study population
Not applicable. This article did not enrol patients; it reviews the changes in the histological and molecular classification of thyroid neoplasms.
Endpoints
Not applicable. This is a review article and no clinical endpoint is defined. It focuses on changes in the classification, nomenclature and diagnostic criteria of thyroid tumours.
Safety and side effects
Not applicable. This is a review article on classification and reports no treatment adverse events.
Clinical significance and place in guidelines
This article summarises the fifth edition of the WHO classification of thyroid tumours, which changes pathology nomenclature and reporting criteria: division of follicular cell-derived tumours into benign, low-risk and malignant; separation of BRAF-like and RAS-like malignancies; definition of high-grade malignancies; grading of medullary carcinoma; and new categories such as thyroblastoma. The abstract makes no statement on changes to treatment protocols or endorsement in clinical guidelines; the adoption of these changes in treatment guidelines should be checked separately.
Limitations
This article is a narrative review of a consensus classification and gives no data on patients' clinical outcomes. The abstract does not state the level of evidence for the changes. The practical effect of this classification on treatment decisions should be checked in the full text and clinical guidelines.
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.