Outcomes of 756 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer and excellent response to treatment: An evidence-based paradigm for long-term surveillance strategies.

The recurrence rate of DRS patients with excellent response to treatment is low. It is reasonable to consider discharge of ATA low-risk or intermediate-risk patients with PTC who remain disease-free after 5 years of secondary care follow-up. Lifelong follow-up, however, currently remains the standard for subgroups at greater risk.