Table VI.

Initial surgery for follicular thyroid cancer

	Clinical details
Recommendation	Low-risk patient (with all of following) <45 years >1–≤4 cm Minimally invasive No angioinvasion No extracapsular invasion No extrathyroidal spread	High-risk patient (one or more of the following) >45 years Tumour >4 cm Extra-capsular invasion Extrathyroidal disease Widely invasive Angioinvasion Hurthle cell tumours
Hemithyroidectomy	Yes	No
Total thyroidectomy	No	Yes
Level VI nodal dissection	No	Only where clinically involved nodes present