What is the primary treatment modality for papillary thyroid cancer?

• A. Chemotherapy
• B. Surgical intervention
• C. Radiation therapy
• D. Immunotherapy

Answer: (B)

Surgical removal is the mainstay of treatment for papillary thyroid cancer. This cancer is typically localized and highly curable when the primary tumor is fully resected, which provides definitive local control and accurate staging. The usual approach is a total or near-total thyroidectomy, often with removal of involved central neck lymph nodes if there’s nodal disease. This surgical removal also enables effective use of radioactive iodine afterward to ablate any remaining thyroid tissue or treat metastases when indicated, and it allows monitoring with thyroglobulin as a tumor marker. Chemotherapy or immunotherapy aren’t standard first-line options for differentiated thyroid cancers like papillary carcinoma, and external beam radiation is generally reserved for unresectable disease or palliation. So, the best initial treatment is surgical intervention.