The world of medical science is not standing still, making a rendezvous in Reggio Emilia on June 23 and 24 for the 2nd International TNT Meeting, the Association for thyroid nodule treatments. The event is being held under the patronage of the Province and Municipality of Reggio Emilia.
Already confirmed are the attendance of leading specialists in Endocrinology from six continents, representing as many as thirty-one nations, who will speak at the conference organized and directed by TNT Association President Roberto Valcavi and featuring a Scientific Committee composed of the most important clinicians in the field, with the collaboration of as many professionals representing the world's highest expression of this branch of medicine.
Recent U.S. research, performed through statistical and mathematical projection models, shows that by 2030 thyroid cancer will be the second most frequent cancer in women, inferior only to breast cancer.
This is a far from improbable hypothesis, in view of the fact that the number of thyroid cancer cases in the US doubled from 2000 to 2010 and again from 2010 to 2020. And it will double again, with geometric explosion, from 2020 to 2030. A situation that also has strong similarities in Europe and in all countries where statistical evidence exists.
Parallel to the event, the Thyroid Nodule Therapies Association has launched the #SaveYourThyroid campaign, conceived and supported in Italy, but with international relaunches, through which they want to bring to citizens' awareness that there is an innovative and minimally invasive approach to the treatment of thyroid nodular pathologies that allows avoiding gland removal surgery modalities.
The consequences of classical surgery are now surmountable in many cases thanks to advanced technologies such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA), which is the most widely used ablative system. Other related technologies include microwave (MWA), laser (LA), focused ultrasound (HIFU).
A large proportion of benign nodules, but also papillary microcarcinomas, which comprise the majority of malignant diagnoses, could nowadays be eliminated by radiofrequency "thermoablation" (RFA), which is the most widely used ablative system, or by related technologies, such as microwave (MWA), laser (LA), focused ultrasound (HIFU). These outpatient surgeries are performed under ultrasound guidance and do not require surgical incisions, with advantages, when compared to therapeutic equivalence with traditional surgery, that result substantially in a significant improvement in the patient's quality of life.
The 2nd TNTMeeting in Reggio Emilia will be a key moment of discussion on the state-of-the-art of these innovative therapies.
