ArticleSurgery2023
What do patients want to know about surgery for low-risk thyroid cancer? A qualitative study.
Article in Surgery, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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
5 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Making Choices: A Multi-institutional, Longitudinal Cohort Study Assessing Changes in Treatment Outcome Valuation for Low-risk Thyroid Cancer.Annals of surgery · 2025Article
- Landmark Studies in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.Annals of surgical oncology · 2025Review
- Communication of Voice-Related Complications in Thyroidectomy: A Qualitative Analysis.Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery · 2025Article
- Risk of Cancer Recurrence Exerts the Strongest Influence on Choice Between Active Surveillance and Thyroid Surgery as Initial Treatment for Low-Risk Thyroid Cancer: Results of a Discrete Choice Experiment.World journal of surgery · 2025Article
- Surgeon Preference for Maximizing Medical Care Is Associated with Recommending More Extensive Surgery for Low-Risk Thyroid Cancer.Thyroid : official journal of the American Thyroid Association · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundShared decision-making about treatment for low-risk thyroid cancer requires patients and surgeons to work together to select treatment that best balances risks and expected outcomes with patient preferences and values. To participate, patients must be activated and ask questions. We aimed to characterize what topics patients prioritize during treatment decision-making.
methodsWe identified substantive questions by patients with low-risk (cT1-2, N0) thyroid cancer during audio-recorded consultations with 9 surgeons at 2 unique health care systems. Logistics questions were excluded. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify major themes among patients' questions and surgeon responses.
resultsOverall, 28 of 30 patients asked 253 substantive questions, with 2 patients not asking any substantive questions (median 8, range 0-25). Patients were 20 to 71 years old, mostly White (86.7%) and female (80.0%). The questions addressed extent of surgery, hormone supplementation, risk of cancer progression, radioactive iodine, and etiology of thyroid cancer. When patients probed for a recommendation regarding extent of surgery, surgeons often responded indirectly. When patients asked how surgery could impact quality of life, surgeons focused on oncologic benefits and surgical risk. Patients commonly asked about hormone supplementation and radioactive iodine.
conclusionPatient questions focused on the decision regarding extent of surgery, quality of life, and nonsurgical aspects of thyroid cancer care. Surgeon responses do not consistently directly answer patients' questions but focus on the risks, benefits, and conduct of surgery itself. These findings suggest an opportunity to help surgeons with resources to improve shared decision-making by providing information that patients prioritize.
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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.