Removal of all resectable disease commensurate with reasonable morbidity and mortality is the initial treatment of all thyroid carcinoma. 2. Patients with no evidence of recurrent metastatic well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma should be placed on suppressive doses of Synthroid. 3. 131I is utilized for nonresectable and for distant metastatic well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma. External radiation therapy and chemotherapy are utilized in recurrent or metastatic thyroid carcinomas that do not concentrate 131I.