Reply to Dr. Xing

摘要

Dr. Xing's comment on our manuscript is greatly appreciated. First, we would like endocrinologists and endocrine surgeons in Western countries to understand that therapeutic strategy, including surgical treatment, of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in Japan differs significantly from that in Western countries. Routine total thyroidectomy with or without node dissection followed by radioiodine ablation therapy has been performed in Western countries. In Japan, traditionally, limited thyroidectomy has been performed especially for low-risk cases, but prophylactic lymph node dissection (not only central but also lateral compartment) has been widely adopted [1]. This is not only because the capacity of radioiodine is limited due to legal restrictions, but also because low-risk PTC patients in Japan have been cured without death due to thyroid carcinoma even if they do not undergo total thyroidectomy and radioiodine ablation therapy.