Controversies in the management of papillary thyroid cancer revisited.

The debate on the appropriate treatment of patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has persisted for several decades. The main controversies focus on the extent of surgery, the timing of central neck dissection, and the indications for radioactive iodine ablation. These controversies continue, for the most part, due to the good prognosis of PTC patients and the questionable effect these treatment modalities have on patient survival. This paper addresses these three controversies and the role of molecular tumor markers in the appropriate treatment selection.