UPDATE from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology 2025 Annual Meeting

Rodrigo Arrangoiz MS, MD, FACS, FSSO
  • Radiofrequency Ablation will be a viable treatment for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
    For low-risk patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma interested in something other than surgery or surveillance, radiofrequency ablation may be an option.
  • At the AACE Annual Scientific and Clinical Conference the experience of the Thyroid Institute of Southern California in Newport Beach was presented.
  • A single-arm study of 24 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent one session of radiofrequency ablation.
  • All 24 patients declined surgery and refused the Watch & Wait approach to treating microcarcinomas and did not have a tumor more than 2 cm in its greatest dimension lymph node metastasis or an aggressive subtype of tumor.
  • Papillary thyroid carcinoma is one of the most common thyroid cancers.
  • Traditional management has been surgery or active surveillance.
  • Minimally invasive therapy such as radiofrequency ablation can be an emerging therapy for our patients.
  • The objective of the study was to evaluate radiofrequency ablation and compare it to active surveillance.
  • Eleven patients had a T1a tumor (< 1 cm) 12 had a T1b tumor (1 cm to < 2 cm) and one had a T2 tumor (2 cm to < 4 cm), and four patients had a BRAF mutation.
  • At 12 months tumor size was reduced by more than 80% in those with T1a tumors (86%) and those with T1b tumors (82.5%).
  • Percent volume reduction at 12 months was slightly greater in patients with a BRAF mutation.
  • Maybe it’s operator-dependent they may use more aggressive radiofrequency in those regions.
  • The percent volume reduction at 12 months was 64.2% in patients with T1a tumors and 78% in patients with T1b tumors.
  • Among those with T1a tumors those with a BRAF mutation had an 86.3% reduction and those without one had a 72.31% reduction.
  • These results are quite pleasing for first-year data. By contrast in a 2020 study of 50 patients who were under active surveillance 30 of them eventually had surgery.
  • Radiofrequency is a very viable option for low-risk papillary thyroid carcinomas in those who decline surgery or surveillance with very precise selection of your patient.
  • Despite the significant tumor reduction has been seen here over 12 months the physicians are going to look at the 2, 3 and 4-year data because this looks very promising.
  • Careful screening of these patients will be very important.
  • This is a very good alternative to active surveillance because of significant patient anxiety.
  • Further studies are necessary & needed.

  • Nikravan SP. Radiofrequency ablation of T1a and T1b papillary thyroid carcinoma: A North American outpatient endocrinologist experience. Presented at AACE Annual Scientific and Clinical Conference; May 2025; Orlando.
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Published by Rodrigo Arrangoiz MS, MD, FACS, FSSO

My name is Rodrigo Arrangoiz I am a breast surgeon/ thyroid surgeon / parathyroid surgeon / head and neck surgeon / surgical oncologist that works at Center for Advanced Surgical Oncology in Miami, Florida. I was trained as a surgeon at Michigan State University from (2005 to 2010) where I was a chief resident in 2010. My surgical oncology and head and neck training was performed at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia from 2010 to 2012. At the same time I underwent a masters in science (Clinical research for health professionals) at the University of Drexel. Through the International Federation of Head and Neck Societies / Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center I performed a two year head and neck surgery and oncology / endocrine fellowship that ended in 2016. Mi nombre es Rodrigo Arrangoiz, soy cirujano oncólogo / cirujano de tumores de cabeza y cuello / cirujano endocrino que trabaja Center for Advanced Surgical Oncology en Miami, Florida. Fui entrenado como cirujano en Michigan State University (2005 a 2010 ) donde fui jefe de residentes en 2010. Mi formación en oncología quirúrgica y e n tumores de cabeza y cuello se realizó en el Fox Chase Cancer Center en Filadelfia de 2010 a 2012. Al mismo tiempo, me sometí a una maestría en ciencias (investigación clínica para profesionales de la salud) en la Universidad de Drexel. A través de la Federación Internacional de Sociedades de Cabeza y Cuello / Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center realicé una sub especialidad en cirugía de cabeza y cuello / cirugia endocrina de dos años que terminó en 2016.

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