CLINICAL THYROIDOLOGY FOR PATIENTS
A publication of the American Thyroid Association

Table of Contents

EDITOR’S COMMENTS

Welcome to Clinical Thyroidology for Patients, bringing to you, the patients, the most up-to-date, cutting edge thyroid research. What you read here as research studies will likely become the accepted practice in the future. Clinical Thyroidology for Patients is published on a monthly basis and includes summaries of research studies that were discussed in a recent issue of Clinical Thyroidology, a publication of the American Thyroid Association for physicians. This means that you, the patients, are getting the latest information on thyroid research and treatment almost as soon as your physicians.

The Calendar of Events highlights educational forums and support groups that are organized around the country by members of the Alliance for Thyroid Patient Education. The Alliance member groups consist of: the American Thyroid Association, the Graves’ Disease and Thyroid Foundation, the Light of Life Foundation and ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors Association.

This month we have our Spotlight On: the Graves’ Disease and Thyroid Foundation (page 16). This Alliance organization had their annual meeting in Boston in November.

In this issue, the studies ask the following questions:

• Should children with subclinical hypothyroidism be treated?
• Can ultrasound imaging diagnose thyroid cancer?
• What is the risk of cancer in suspicious thyroid biopsies?
• Can molecular testing improve the accuracy of thyroid biopsies?
• What surgery is best for thyroid cancer- total thyroidectomy vs lobectomy?
• What is the ideal dose of radioactive iodine to treat thyroid cancer?
• Can you predict survival in patients with thyroid cancer by blood tests?

We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Let us know what you want to see in this publication. I hope you find these summaries interesting and informative.

— Alan P. Farwell, MD