A new study this week shows that patients could avoid thyroid cancer surgery with a minimally invasive procedure that could be used for this disease, and would spare people from having to undergo an operation.

Researchers at China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing developed the new application using microwave ablation, and the research marks the first multi-centre analysis of patients who used the new procedure compared with those who got surgery for their multi-focal papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).

"These findings challenge traditional treatment paradigms and open new avenues for less invasive management strategies," said Dr. Ming-An Yu, director of interventional medicine.

Thyroid surgery can impact the patient's quality of life due to factors like scarring, lifelong hormone replacement, and potential complications, such as permanent hoarseness.

On the other hand, microwave ablation, which rarely produces any serious side effects, uses heat from microwave energy to destroy cancer cells.

The study, published in the journal Radiology, looked at 775 patients with Stage 1 PTC, who were being treated with either microwave ablation or surgery at ten different centers between 2015 and December 2021.

The patients—229 in the microwave ablation group and 453 in the surgical resection group, all with two or more lumps found in the gland—were followed-up for between one and four years.

Microwave ablation was associated with similar progression-free survival rates to surgery—but with fewer complications and a greater potential for preserving thyroid function.

The microwave heat treatment resulted in less blood loss, shorter incision length, with shorter procedure and hospitalization durations.

Permanent hoarseness and hypoparathyroidism were encountered only in the surgical resection group.

"This preliminary investigation represents a significant advancement in the field of interventional thyroid cancer treatment," said Dr. Yu.

"Microwave ablation offers a promising treatment option (and) can preserve thyroid function, thereby enhancing patients' quality of life."

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