Abstract
The occurrence of thyroid cancer is increasing throughout the developed world and since the 1990s has become the fastest increasing malignancy. Between 1991 and 2009, the number of thyroid cancer cases increased by 250% in Australia. The most common types of thyroid cancer have very good long-term prognoses, and of all non-cutaneous cancers, thyroid cancer has the highest five-year survival rate at 98% .
However, there are significant variations in the management, treatment and outcomes of thyroid cancer, particularly in diagnostic investigations undertaken; optimal extent of surgery; use of active surveillance; role of lymph node dissections; complication rates following surgery; postsurgical hormone treatment, calcium and vitamin D therapy; and radioactive iodine treatment.
While thyroid cancer management is informed by well-regarded international guidelines, there is a lack of population-level data regarding patient outcomes from thyroid cancer in Australia and New Zealand. Therefore it is likely that there is clinician variation in adherence to best practice and therefore, individual patient outcomes of thyroid cancer. In addition, while detailed guidelines exist, there remain questions regarding optimal management of patient sub-populations.
A proven strategy to reduce variation in outcomes is to measure and compare high quality disease-specific data using clinical quality registries (CQRs). CQRs provide the most effective means of collecting high quality data and are a tool for quality improvement. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) has advocated development of CQRs, particularly in key high burden areas including cancers.
However, there are significant variations in the management, treatment and outcomes of thyroid cancer, particularly in diagnostic investigations undertaken; optimal extent of surgery; use of active surveillance; role of lymph node dissections; complication rates following surgery; postsurgical hormone treatment, calcium and vitamin D therapy; and radioactive iodine treatment.
While thyroid cancer management is informed by well-regarded international guidelines, there is a lack of population-level data regarding patient outcomes from thyroid cancer in Australia and New Zealand. Therefore it is likely that there is clinician variation in adherence to best practice and therefore, individual patient outcomes of thyroid cancer. In addition, while detailed guidelines exist, there remain questions regarding optimal management of patient sub-populations.
A proven strategy to reduce variation in outcomes is to measure and compare high quality disease-specific data using clinical quality registries (CQRs). CQRs provide the most effective means of collecting high quality data and are a tool for quality improvement. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) has advocated development of CQRs, particularly in key high burden areas including cancers.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Melbourne, Australia |
| Publisher | Monash University |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Volume | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 13 Jan 2019 |
Keywords
- thyroid cancer
- CQRs
