The Efficacy and Safety of Ultrasound-Guided Microwave Ablation Versus Surgery for Solitary T1N0M0 Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Ultrasound-guided MWA may be a potential treatment option for highly selected patients with isolated T1N0M0 PTC. It shows advantages in short-term outcomes, but its long-term oncological safety still needs to be confirmed by longer and higher-quality studies. However, in the T1B subgroup, preoperative ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) examinations are required to screen for suspicious lymph nodes. If any suspicious metastasis is found, surgical treatment should be given priority.