Noninvasive Follicular Thyroid Neoplasms with Papillary Like Nuclear Features (NIFTP) Birth of a New Entity-An Attempt to Prevent Cancer Overdiagnosis

Abstract

There is a worldwide emphasis on preventing overdiagnosis of disease. Overdiagnosis is defined as the diagnosis of a disease or condition that is unlikely to ever cause harm.¹ Overdiagnosis is a huge problem which has serious consequences for the patients as well as health care system. For the patients, these include unnecessary treatment with consequent adverse effects and unnecessary monetary burden, as well as the psychological trauma. For health care system, it causes waste of precious resources and unduly increased work load for the health professionals. Such is the global concern for this problem that since 2013, health professionals from all around the world gather for “Preventing Overdiagnosis” conference, held every year. Cancer overdiagnosis has a much greater potential for harm due to its enormous psychological trauma, arduous treatment protocol, rife with life threatening complications and staggering cost for the patient and healthcare system.²