# Thyroidectomy

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/thyroidectomy/  
OnCo record `thyroidectomy` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Removing all (total) or half (hemi-) of the thyroid gland, after which thyroid hormone tablets replace its function.

## Summary

The main treatment for differentiated thyroid cancer, followed by radioiodine when risk warrants it. Hemithyroidectomy is now adequate for low-risk tumours under 4 cm, and active surveillance is accepted for papillary microcarcinomas. Prophylactic thyroidectomy in childhood prevents medullary thyroid cancer in germline RET carriers (MEN2). Risks are voice change (recurrent laryngeal nerve) and low calcium (parathyroid injury).

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-09
- Also known as: total thyroidectomy; hemithyroidectomy; lobectomy of the thyroid; prophylactic thyroidectomy

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyroidectomy
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyroidectomy

## Connected records

- technologies: [Active surveillance](https://onco.cc/technologies/active-surveillance/), [Radioiodine therapy and whole-body iodine scanning](https://onco.cc/technologies/radioiodine-therapy/), [Thyroglobulin, calcitonin and CEA in thyroid cancer follow-up](https://onco.cc/technologies/thyroid-cancer-markers/)
- cancers: [Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2A and MEN2B)](https://onco.cc/cancers/men2-syndrome/), [Thyroid cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/thyroid/)
- fronts: [Surgery & Interventional](https://onco.cc/fronts/surgery/)
- terms: [Radioiodine therapy (I-131)](https://onco.cc/terms/radioiodine-term/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/thyroidectomy.json