As with most therapies for differentiated thryoid carcinoma, there is little consensus about optimal use of postoperative adjuvant therapies or long-term follow-up strategies. However, an increasing body of data indicates that most patients can benefit from postoperative radioiodine ablation followed by thyroid hormone suppression therapy. An approach to long-term monitoring and therapy is provided, including the use of strategies dependent upon the extent of the patient's initial disease. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.