Survivorship and Quality of Life in Thyroid Cancer Survivors.

A long lifetime of survivorship for thyroid patients with cancer lends it to unique healthcare-related concerns and quality-of-life issues. Thyroid cancer survivors report decreased health-care related quality-of-life (HRQOL) than survivors of other cancers, which encompass physical, practical, and psychological domains. As studies have shown improvement in HRQOL with thyroid lobectomy versus total thyroidectomy, consideration should be given to minimizing the extent of surgery and treatment to improve QOL when appropriate. Additionally, periodic reassessment of HRQOL domains is necessary to best support these survivors.