Frequent neck US in papillary thyroid cancer likely detects non‐actionable findings

Background American Thyroid Association (ATA) low‐intermediate‐risk papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients without structural and biochemical evidence of disease on initial post‐treatment evaluation have a low risk of recurrence. Studies have shown that with current ultrasound scans (US) and thyroglobulin assays, recurrences mostly occurred 2‐8 years after initial therapy. The ATA recommends that neck US be done 6‐12 months after surgery to establish patient's response to therapy, then periodically depending on risk of recurrence. The lack of clarity in recommendations on timing of follow‐up US and fear of recurrence leads to frequent tests. Objectives To evaluate the utility of routine neck US in ATA low‐intermediate‐risk PTC patients with no structural disease on neck US and non‐stimulated thyroglobulin