SynthesisEndocrine2021
Radiofrequency ablation and thyroid nodules: updated systematic review.
Synthesis in Endocrine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 88 citations in OpenAlex.
- Ablative Technologies for Thyroid Nodules: A Health Technology Assessment.Ontario health technology assessment series · 2026Pooled it
- Meta-Analysis of the Application Effect of Different Modalities of Thermal Ablation and Surgical Treatment in Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma.Disease markers · 2022Pooled it
- Early volume reduction slope as a novel predictor of long-term outcomes following microwave ablation of benign thyroid nodules: a machine learning-enhanced prediction model.Journal of ultrasound · 2026Article
- Multimodal Assessment of Tissue Response After Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation: Clinical, Imaging, Histopathological and Molecular Insights.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Evaluating microwave ablation for treating large benign thyroid nodules.Gland surgery · 2026Article
- Transarterial embolization outperforms radiofrequency ablation for thyroid goiters exceeding 100 mL: a study on efficacy and safety.European radiology · 2026Article
- Predictors of early complete nodule shrinkage in symptomatic benign thyroid nodules treated with radiofrequency ablation with or without sclerotherapy: a retrospective study.European radiology · 2025Article
- Thermal Ablation as a Non-Surgical Alternative for Thyroid Nodules: A Review of Current Evidence.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Review
- Consensus Thyroid Nodule Radiofrequency Ablation Reporting Guidelines Established Using a Delphi Approach.Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists · 2025Article
- Recurrent laryngeal nerve thermal injury in radiofrequency ablation for papillary thyroid carcinoma and related risk factors: a prospective large cohort study.European radiology · 2025Article
- Safety and feasibility of computed tomography-guided radiofrequency ablation for treating high-risk pulmonary nodules in postoperative lung cancer patients.The Journal of international medical research · 2025Article
- Ankylosing spondylitis management: a narrative review of radiofrequency ablation and naproxen.Pain management · 2025Review
- A novel hybrid deep learning approach combining deep feature attention and statistical validation for enhanced thyroid ultrasound segmentation.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Resolution of Sleep Apnea After Radiofrequency Ablation of Goiter.Case reports in endocrinology · 2025Article
- Opportunities and challenges of radiofrequency ablation for substernal goiter: a case report.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Article
- Article
- Efficacy of microwave ablation in the treatment of large benign thyroid nodules: a multi-center study.European radiology · 2024Article
- Thyroid Screening Techniques via Bioelectromagnetic Sensing: Imaging Models and Analytical and Computational Methods.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Safety and efficacy of microwave ablation for symptomatic benign thyroid nodules in children.European radiology · 2024Article
- Radiofrequency ablation of thyroid nodules: a clinical review of treatment complications.Gland surgery · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeIn the thyroid gland, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is being applied to both benign nodules and cancers internationally, while interest is also growing in the West. Benign thyroid nodules (BTNs) may be candidates for intervention when symptoms develop. For differentiated thyroid cancers (DTC), surgery is currently the first-line treatment. However, for candidates with high surgical risk or those who refuse to undergo repeated surgery, newer techniques such as RFA are an option. Surgery is associated with complications including hypothyroidism, voice change, hypocalcemia, and a scar. RFA has been used in Asian and European institutions as an alternative to surgery, but is relatively new in North America. Although RFA is not associated with significant complications, few randomized control trials have assessed its efficacy. The studies to date suggest a low rate of severe complications and a small need for thyroid hormone replacement following RFA. Further large-scale studies focusing on a Western population are needed. The aim of this review is to evaluate the evidence with respect to the current studies and data about the safety and efficacy of radiofrequency ablation for the management of BTNs and DTC.
methodsWe systematically searched the PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Clinical Queries, and Web of Science databases, for articles published up to April 30th, 2020.
resultsTotal of 75 studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in the review. Thirty-five studies focused on RFA use for solid nodules, 12 studies on predominantly cystic nodules, 10 for autonomously functioning thyroid nodules, and 18 studied were published on differentiated thyroid cancer.
conclusionsRFA seems to be an effective and safe alternative to surgery in high-risk surgical patients with thyroid cancers and for selected BTNs. Additional trials with longer follow-up in North American patients are needed to validate its full role in the armamentarium of thyroid ologists.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.