**3. Differentiated thyroid cancer**

According to the American Cancer Society, differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) derives from thyrocytes and expresses the sodium iodine symporter. DTC includes papillary, follicular and Hurthle cell cancer and represents most of thyroid cancer (90%).

#### **3.1. Papillary cancer**

About 80% of the patients diagnosed with thyroid cancers present the form of papillary carcinoma. This form of papillary cancer develops slowly, and it usually affects only one thyroid


**Table 1.** Variants of papillary thyroid cancer.

lobe. With a slow growth, the papillary cancers often spread to the locally lymph nodes. Even it also affects the local lymph nodes, this cancer responds well to the treatment and is rarely fatal. There are several subtypes of papillary cancers, more than 10 histological variants which are documented and can be seen in **Table 1** [9, 10].

#### **3.2. Follicular cancer**

In this chapter, we present the technical key points and postoperative benefits of the proce-

During the twelfth and thirteenth century, there were many speculations regarding the role and the function of the thyroid gland and surgeries have been done according to them [2]. Roger Frugardi was first, in 1170, to describe the extirpation of the gland using setons, hot

Evolution of thyroidectomy is related to the advances of the technology even though in the nineteenth century this procedure was considered "barbaric horrid butchery" (by S. Gross) [4]. Later on, in 1880, Jules Boeckel of Strasbourg introduced the collar incision to thyroid

The thyroidectomy (near or total), as we know it today, began in the 1860s with the help of Billroth [5]. Thyroid surgery was undertaken before the physiology was understood leading to complications, including massive hemorrhage, infection or injuries of the surrounding structures, which were associated with morbidity and mortality rates of about 40% [4].

In 1880, Sandstrom discovered the parathyroid glands but the fact that hypocalcemia was the

Later, in the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries, Theodor Kocher practiced a meticulous thyroidectomy being able to report a mortality rate of 1%. He also described the "cachexia strumipriva" in patients following total thyroidectomy. For his contribution to

In 1920, the advances in thyroidectomy reached the peak making Halsted to refer to this surgery as a "feat which today can be accomplished by any competent operator without danger

Nowadays, thyroid surgery can be performed with a low mortality as well as with low morbidity. In order to obtain such results, surgeon must be aware of the pathophysiology of the

According to the American Cancer Society, differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) derives from thyrocytes and expresses the sodium iodine symporter. DTC includes papillary, follicular and

About 80% of the patients diagnosed with thyroid cancers present the form of papillary carcinoma. This form of papillary cancer develops slowly, and it usually affects only one thyroid

surgery, and this approach was popularized, later on, by Theodor Kocher.

definitive cause of tetany was not accepted until the twentieth century [6].

thyroid pathology, Kocher received the Nobel Prize in 1909 [7, 8].

thyroid disorders and must know very well the cervical anatomy.

Hurthle cell cancer and represents most of thyroid cancer (90%).

**3. Differentiated thyroid cancer**

dure, using LigaSure™ small jaw in differentiated thyroid cancer.

**2. Short history of thyroidectomy**

irons and caustic powder [3].

96 Cancer Survivorship

of mishap" [1].

**3.1. Papillary cancer**

Unlike the papillary form, the follicular cancer is the second most common thyroid cancer, affecting 10% of the persons diagnosed with thyroid cancer. It is more common in patients whose diet is poor in iodine. This type of cancer is characterized by the development of distant metastases, affecting organs such as the lungs and bones. The prognosis of this type of cancer varies depending on the degree of invasiveness. In the traditional classification of follicular thyroid cancer (FTC), there are two groups: minimally invasive and widely invasive [11–13].

#### **3.3. Hurthle cell cancer**

This type is also known as oxyphil cell carcinoma. About 3% of thyroid cancers are of this type. Most of the authors consider it as a form of follicular cancer [14].
