The overall prognosis of DTC is good and the mortality rate is relatively low. However, the rate of disease recurrence varies widely depending on the clinicopathologic features. Based on intraoperative pathologic features such as residual lesions, tumor size and number, pathologic subtypes, envelope vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis and extravasation, postoperative
Tg levels after TSH stimulation (sTg), and molecular pathological features classified patients into 3 tiers of low, intermediate, and high risk of recurrence (Table 7). Postoperative adjuvant therapy is strongly recommended for DTC in the high-risk group; adjuvant therapy can be considered in the intermediate-risk group; and 131I thyroid clearance is generally not indicated for the low-risk group, but endocrine therapy should be considered.
Table 7 Clinico-pathological characteristics of DTC recurrence risk stratification