Most thyroid cancer recurrences are found in the ipsilateral neck—particularly in the central (level VI) or lateral (levels II-V) compartments on the same side as the original malignancy.
According to AIUM Practice Parameters:
“Post-thyroidectomy recurrence most frequently occurs ipsilateral to the original tumor, commonly involving regional lymph nodes.”
[Reference:, AIUM Practice Parameter for Thyroid and Neck Ultrasound, 2020., American Thyroid Association (ATA) Guidelines for Thyroid Cancer Management, 2015., ]
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