Abstract: Value and controversy of prophylactic lateral neck dissection in the treatment of medullary thyroid carcinoma        WANG Jian, LIU Shao-yan. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College，Beijing 100021, China
Corresponding author: LIU Shao-yan, E-mail: shaoyanliu.bj@263.net
Abstract    Compared with differentiated thyroid cancer, medullary thyroid cancer is prone to recurrence. Some patients often require multiple neck dissections and often fail to achieve the goal of low calcitonin level. At present, some surgeons suggest more active surgical treatment, such as extensive neck dissection or prophylactic lateral neck dissection, in order to improve the postoperative biochemical cure rate. Other experts believe that although active cervical lymph node dissection could increase biochemical cure rate, it does not improve the overall survival rate and may cause a decline of patients’ quality of life.

Key words: medullary thyroid cancer, prophylactic neck dissection

摘要： 甲状腺髓样癌相比于分化型甲状腺癌有易复发的特点，部分病人往往需要多次颈部淋巴结清扫手术，且常常无法达到降钙素降至正常的治疗目标。目前，有部分学者主张更积极的外科手术治疗，如进行范围更广的颈部淋巴结清扫或预防性清扫，以提高术后生化治愈率。而另外一些学者则认为积极的颈部淋巴结清扫虽然能带来生化治愈，但是并不能提高总体存活率，反而可能会造成病人生活质量下降。

关键词: 甲状腺髓样癌, 预防性颈部淋巴结清扫