Summary of the Israeli Endocrine Society's consensus statement on the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of well-differentiated thyroid cancer

Well differentiated epithelial cell thyroid cancer is not classified amongst the most aggressive diseases. Notwithstanding, it can potentially both impair quality of life and affect life expectancy. Appropriate treatment has been shown to be crucial in obtaining optimal outcomes on the course of the disease. Successful treatment rests upon strict adherence to confirmed principles of diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. The aim of the position paper is to present the Israeli medical community with a set of commonly accepted principles for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with well differentiated epithelial thyroid cancer and in addition to highlight areas of legitimate differences in approach where those differences occur. We have attempted to provide a link between the various medical disciplines involved in care of these patients: family physicians, surgeons, nuclear medicine specialists, oncologists, pathologists, radiologists and endocrinologists; and have attempted to decrease to a minimum areas of uncertainty and to offer a common approach for the best possible care of thyroid cancer patients in Israel. In addition, we find it our duty to point out those areas and resources which, in our opinion, need to be upgraded in Israel and even included in the Israeli official "health basket".