No abstract

The term thyroid neoplasm incorporates tumors that originate from follicular cells and those that arise from parafollicular cells (C cells). Differentiated thyroid cancer, which originates from follicular cells, includes papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC), oncocytic cell carcinoma (Hürthle), poorly differentiated carcinoma, and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). PTC tends to have an indolent clinical course with low morbidity and mortality. However, this entity has a broad range of biological and clinical behavior that can result in disease recurrence and death, depending on patient and tumor characteristics and the initial treatment approach. PTC is the most common form of well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) and based on the most recent statistics, accounts for approximately 89.4% of all thyroid malignancies. PTC appears as an irregular solid or cystic nodule in normal thyroid parenchyma. PTC has the propensity for lymphatic invasion, but it is less likely to have hematogenous spread. Around 11% of patients with PTC present with distant metastases outside the neck and mediastinum. This manuscript with review the current understanding of the epidemiology, pathology, molecular characteristics, prognostic factors, and dynamic risk stratification of PTC centered on an evidence-based and personalized approach.

Breast Conserving Surgery (BCS) is a rapidly emerging field increasingly adopted to facilitate breast conservation and preserve breast aesthetics. Since the publication of the Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) of Breast Conserving Surgery versus mastectomy in early breast cancer, the adoption of BCS for breast cancer patients' surgical management has been comprehensive. A computerized bibliographic search was performed on PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar and Cochrane library databases. This article aims to perform a thorough review of new data regarding invasive cancer and margins while evaluating patient outcomes related to BCS after neoadjuvant chemotherapy focusing on margins, imaging evaluation, the extent of resection, and local regional recurrence outcomes. The growth pattern and biopsy of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) differ from invasive cancer, impacting margins. It is essential to understand how the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) DCIS margin guideline has influenced practice. Early breast cancer surgical management should be unique to each patient, driven by evidence-based medicine, and focused on specific clinical, histological, and molecular characteristics of the tumor. Conclusion: The current management for early breast cancer should be tailored and evidence-based to each patient based on the clinical, histological and molecular characteristics of the tumor. Presumably, the standard of care in BCS has enhanced the outcomes for this patient population. This review made by peers will help surgeons to stay up to date with the current literature and help them manage breast cancer while improving multiple clinical parameters such as Disease-Free Survival (DFS), Recurrence-Free Survival (RFS) and most importantly Overall Survival (OS).

Molecular testing in thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer is rapidly evolving; care must be used when incorporating molecular testing for thyroid nodules into clinical practice. A clear appreciation of the goals and restraints of molecular testing must be integrated into how physicians use and explain molecular testing to patients. Molecular tests can help rule in cancer for indeterminate thyroid nodules with very specific mutations for thyroid cancer, such as BRAF and RET/PTC, and can help reduce the rates of completion thyroidectomies in this era of de-escalation of the management of thyroid disease. The positive predictive value (PPV) of malignant cytology (Bethesda VI) is 98%; and even though molecular testing improves specificity and PPV, it falls short of this ideal for other mutations. We present a detailed evaluation of the current state of molecular testing and their clinical relevance in the setting of diagnostic utility and their impact on surgical decision-making. By recapitulating the clinical impact of these tests and some of the related drawbacks, we hope to provide adequate up to date information of the appropriate utilization of these tools in the management of indeterminate or suspicious thyroid nodules and highlight future directions on their utilization for the management of thyroid cancer.