Significance of Contralateral Central Lymph Node Dissection in Unilateral cN0 Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma.

Overview

There are so many contradictions over central lymph node dissection in unilateral cN0(Clinically N0) differentiated thyroid carcinoma.In order to provides a new theoretical basis for the operation of central lymph node in cN0(Clinically N0) differentiated thyroid cancer,researchers are going to complete this study to evaluate the significance of contralateral central lymph node dissection in unilateral cN0(Clinically N0) differentiated thyroid carcinoma.At the same time,it may play a certain impact on the revision of surgical guidelines for differentiated thyroid cancer.

Being the most common thyroid malignant tumor,differentiated thyroid carcinoma often metastasize to the neck lymph nodes in the early stage,especially to the central lymph node.For management of cervical lymph nodes ,the 2015 American Thyroid Association Management Guidelines suggest that thyroid+Prophylactic unilateral or bilateral central lymph node dissection should be undertaken in the patients with cN0(Clinically N0) progression (T3, T4) and cN1b(Clinically N1b).Chinese guidelines recommend that, in order to avoid operative complications as far as possible (i.e. effective protection of the parathyroid gland and recurrent laryngeal nerve), lymph node dissection in the central area on the same side of the lesion should be performed at least.However, in 2017, the second edition of National Comprehensive Cancer Network(NCCN) thyroid tumor guidelines believed that if lymph nodes in the central region were negative,preventive central region lymph node dissection was not recommended.In conclusion,there are so many contradictions over central lymph node dissection in unilateral cN0 differentiated thyroid carcinoma.However,we also can draw a conclusion that it may bring some benefits if bilateral central lymph node dissection were undertaken In some cases.According to researchers' preliminary clinical trials,it is not only that there is a great probability of metastasis in the ipsilateral central lymph nodes , contralateral metastasis is also possible,and even sometimes contralateral central lymph region metastas may occur without ipsilateral central lymph nodes metastasis.In order to provides a new theoretical basis for the operation of central lymph node in cN0 differentiated thyroid cancer,researchers are going to complete this study to evaluate the significance of contralateral central lymph node dissection in unilateral cN0 differentiated thyroid carcinoma.At the same time,it may play a certain impact on the revision of surgical guidelines for differentiated thyroid cancer.