Central neck dissection in the treatment of well-differentiated thyroid cancer

Abstract

Therapeutic central compartment neck dissection (CCND) is required for confirmed nodal metastasis in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. The need for routine prophylactic CCND in patients with papillary thyroid cancer is controversial. This article presents the current evidence to inform the debate against the background of the recommendations of US and British thyroid cancer guidelines. Potential advantages of pCCND include reduced local recurrence, preventing the need for further central compartment surgery and improved staging. Opponents claim that there is no proven patient benefit and that there is increased risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and hypocalcemia.