ABSTRACT
Surveillance forms a vital part of thyroid cancer management since most of these have indolent disease, but a significant risk of residual/recurrence
Common surveillance tools are serum Tg, anti-Tg Ab, USG of the neck, and RAI scans
RAI scans are commonly used: most patients have an initial RAI scan after total thyroidectomy but they may have a lesser role once an initial post-therapy scan is normal
Risk assessment should be a composite of initial risk estimate and a dynamic real-time estimate based on response to therapy, to guide ongoing management
Surveillance strategies have evolved towards less intensive follow-up for most low-risk patients who have a good response to therapy
More intense surveillance and further imaging (CT/PET-CT) is reserved for patients with advanced disease and greater risk for recurrence
None of the current guidelines are based on high quality evidence, hence surveillance strategies should be adapted to local available expertise, tools, patient profile, and follow-up.
