Pediatric papillary thyroid cancer: current management challenges

Although with a standardized incidence of 0.54 cases per 100,000 persons, differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is a rare disease in children and adolescents, it nonetheless concerns ~1.4% of all pediatric malignancies. Furthermore, its incidence is rising. Due to the rarity and long survival of pediatric DTC patients, in most areas of treatment little evidence exists. Treatment of pediatric DTC is therefore littered with controversies, many questions therefore remain open regarding the optimal management of pediatric papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), and many challenges remain unsolved. In the present review, we aim to provide an overview of these challenging areas of patient and disease management in pediatric PTC patients. Data on diagnosis, surgery, radionuclide, and endocrine therapy are discussed, and the controversies therein are highlighted.