Surgical resources in advanced thyroid cancer treatment with aerodigestive tract invasion

•10% well-differentiated thyroid cancer patients may present aggressive local behaviour.•Most frequent neck structures involved are trachea and oesophagus.•Surgical treatment, as major tracheal/oesophageal resections, offers good results.•A wide range of techniques must be mastered to deal with different invasion scenarios.•Adequate pre-surgical planning and a multidisciplinary team approach are required.