The incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing by about 6% per year. Papillary thyroid cancer, the most common type of thyroid cancer, is not usually life-threatening. Still, recurrence after treatment can significantly affect the quality of life.
Identifying high-risk individuals helps to direct appropriately aggressive treatment to those who need it. At the same time, confidently identifying individuals with a very low risk of recurrence will help select when more conservative treatment can be offered.