The Pakistan Journal of Nuclear Medicine (PJNM) is pleased to announce a forthcoming Special Issue dedicated to Thyroid Cancer Care in light of the evolving American Thyroid Association (ATA) Perspective 2025.
Special Issue Information
Thyroid cancer, particularly differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), remains one of the most frequently encountered endocrine malignancies worldwide. Over recent decades, its management has undergone substantial refinement, driven by improved understanding of tumor biology, risk stratification, imaging techniques, and a more selective use of radioactive iodine therapy. Building on the pivotal shift introduced by the 2015 American Thyroid Association (ATA) guidelines toward evidence-based, risk-adapted, and individualized care, the 2025 updates further refine and expand this paradigm, reinforcing precision-driven management across the spectrum of thyroid cancer.
Although the ATA guidelines are comprehensive and authoritative, their detailed nature and evolving concepts can present practical challenges for clinicians, trainees, and nuclear medicine professionals. Translating guideline recommendations into routine clinical decision-making often requires simplification, clarification of intent, and adaptation to real-world practice settings. These challenges are particularly relevant in healthcare systems with varying levels of resources and infrastructure.
The primary aim of this special issue of the Pakistan Journal of Nuclear Medicine is to provide a clear, concise, and simplified explanation of ATA guideline–based thyroid cancer management, grounded in the established 2015 recommendations while incorporating emerging concepts that are shaping upcoming guideline updates. This issue does not attempt to replace or reinterpret the guidelines; rather, it seeks to distil their core principles into practical, clinically meaningful guidance that can be readily applied in everyday practice.
The idea of a special issue is to develop as an educational and practice-oriented resource for nuclear medicine physicians, endocrinologists, surgeons, residents, and allied healthcare professionals. Key themes include risk stratification, appropriate selection of radioactive iodine therapy, response-to-therapy assessment, interpretation of thyroglobulin and imaging findings during follow-up, and the evolving role of nuclear medicine in personalized thyroid cancer care. Emphasis is to make a frame work to facilitate on simplifying decision pathways while remaining faithful to guideline intent.
It is our hope that this simplified presentation of ATA guideline–driven thyroid cancer management will enhance understanding, promote uniformity in clinical practice, and contribute meaningfully to improving patient outcomes at both institutional and national levels.
🎯 Scope of the Special Issue
Submissions are invited in (but not limited to) the following areas:
- Risk stratification and dynamic risk assessment
- Indications and optimization of radioactive iodine therapy
- Management of RAI-refractory disease
- Interpretation of thyroglobulin and imaging in follow-up
- Role of SPECT-CT, PET-CT, and hybrid imaging
- Personalized nuclear medicine approaches
- ATA 2015 framework with evolving 2025 perspectives
Submission Deadline
Manuscript submission deadline: 30th April 2026
Manuscript submission Information: We invite nuclear medicine physicians, endocrinologists, oncologists, surgeons, and researchers to contribute scholarly manuscripts that advance clinical understanding and practice. Authors are encouraged to submit their manuscripts well before the deadline to facilitate timely peer review and publication. While submitting your manuscript, please select “Special Issue” to ensure proper processing of your article.
This Special Issue will be led by:
Guest Editor: Dr. Muhammad Numair Younis
Consultant Nuclear Medicine
Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Muhammad Babar Imran (TI)
Associate Editor: Tania Jabbar, PhD