Surgical aspects of the treatment of malignant thyroid gland tumors

95 cases with primary malignant thyroid tumours underwent surgery from 1965 to 1977. In view of the interdisciplinary character of treatment and independent of histological differentiation, total thyroidectomy should be performed. Differentiated carcinomas should be treated by selective dissection of suspected cervical lymph nodes. Surgical intervention of undifferentiated and medullary carcinomas should be followed by unilateral or bilateral neck-dissection. The survival rate is shown to depend on histological stage and extension of the tumour.