[Errors in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer].

The analysis of the data on 744 patients with thyroid tumors showed inadequate examination to be the main cause of untimely diagnosis of cancer of the organ. Cytologic examination of tumor punctate proved most effective for diagnosis since it confirmed cancer in 92.3% of cases. Adequate examination and extrafascial surgical procedure with intraoperative contrasting of the thyroid assured five-year survival rate of 95.9% and a decrease in the risk of injury to n. recurrens by 23%.