Is the Two-Week Wait Path Way Appropriate for Thyroid Cancer Referrals?

Abstract

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy but remains relatively uncommon, representing 0.5% of all newly diagnosed cancers in the UK. Differentiated thyroid cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type in the UK and, if treated in an appropriate and timely fashion, is associated with outcomes of over 90% 10-year survival. However, evidence suggests that the outcomes in thyroid and other cancers in the UK lag behind our European and American counterparts. To address these deficiencies the Department of Health set out the NHS Plan. Within this document, there was a commitment to see all new suspected cancer referrals within a new 'two-week wait' (2WW) pathway from primary care to specialist review.