Thermal ablation for benign thyroid diseases, low-risk thyroid carcinoma, and metastatic cervical lymph nodes: A Chinese multidisciplinary expert consensus (2025 edition)

Abstract

The clinical role of thermal ablation in thyroid disease management has broadened substantially over the past decade as imaging guidance and minimally invasive technologies have advanced. Although thermal ablation is increasingly used in selected thyroid conditions, global practice varies considerably in patient eligibility, treatment indications, and procedural standardization. Countries with extensive clinical experience in thyroid thermal ablation have helped shape the evolving use of this technology. In China, thermal ablation has been widely implemented in high-volume centers for benign thyroid diseases, low-risk thyroid carcinoma, and metastatic cervical lymph nodes, generating a substantial body of real-world evidence. This experience has highlighted the need for structured, consensus-based recommendations that harmonize clinical practice and clarify appropriate indications. To address this need, the Interventional Ultrasound Committee of the Chinese College of Interventionalists, together with relevant academic societies and multidisciplinary experts in surgery, interventional medicine, ultrasound, endocrinology, oncology, pathology, and nuclear medicine, developed this consensus through a formal methodology combining a modified Delphi process, expert panel discussions, and iterative revisions. The consensus integrates available evidence with collective clinical experience to define key indications, contraindications, and procedural considerations for thyroid thermal ablation. This multidisciplinary expert consensus represents an updated synthesis of practice-oriented recommendations derived from extensive clinical application in China. By outlining standardized approaches and identifying areas requiring further investigation, it serves as a practical reference for clinicians and contributes to ongoing international dialogue on the appropriate use of thermal ablation in thyroid disease management.