Lars Rolighed

Lars Rolighed says: “The general metabolism is partially regulated by the thyroid gland. In health and disease, thyroid hormones help to stimulate bodily mechanisms in the right way. Commonly, the thyroid gland is affected by various diseases and occasionally surgical treatment is needed. In Denmark, the most common operative procedure on the thyroid gland is a hemi thyroidectomy with removal of half of the gland. This operation often reduces the thyroid hormones to a degree where the metabolism is negatively affected. Accordingly, many patients with a previous neck operation need to take medication daily for the rest of their life. With many different thyroid diseases, there are several treatment options. We will evaluate new management options in clinical prospective studies. These new options include 1) use of active surveillance of small tumors and 2) radiofrequency ablation of small thyroid tumors. Further, in a national 20-year cohort, we will retrospectively evaluate long-term adverse outcome after hemi thyroidectomy. Finally, we will perform molecular profiling of thyroid tumors including circulating tumor DNA and describe essential mutations for development of cancer and disseminating disease. With this project, we aim to improve outcome for Danish thyroid patients with possible beneficial impact on long-term health outcomes.”

Lars Rolighed is Consultant Surgeon at Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Department of Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, and Associate Professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Aarhus University Hospital, since 2016.