Does every sporadic MTC need a total thyroidectomy?
Does Every Sporadic MTC Need a Total Thyroidectomy?
New in JAMA Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery
Total thyroidectomy has been the default for medullary thyroid cancer for decades. But for sporadic cases confined to one lobe, is that always justified?
Lincango et al. pooled 9 studies and 1,371 patients in the first-ever meta-analysis comparing total thyroidectomy vs lobectomy for sporadic MTC.
In this episode, we break down: five oncologic outcomes head-to-head, the one finding that initially favored total thyroidectomy (and why it fell apart on closer inspection), which international guidelines are already shifting, and a critical detail about how "sporadic" was defined that changes how you read the data.
Read the full analysis with data tables
Citation: Lincango EP, Vilatuna-Andrango L, Arce-Camposano A, et al. Total Thyroidectomy vs Lobectomy for Sporadic Medullary Thyroid Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Published online February 26, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2025.5599
See you next week.