Surgical management of cervical lymph nodes in differentiated thyroid cancer.

Well-differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) carries an excellent prognosis. Although long-term survival rates are high, regional lymph node metastases are common. Surgical management of cervical lymph nodes is integral to the comprehensive treatment of DTC, but data from large randomized trials do not exist to define optimal treatment. Therapy is thus guided by observational data, and founded on an understanding of the behavior of lymphatic metastases in DTC. This article focuses on the significance of lymph node metastases in thyroid cancer, and the strategy for surgical management.