Treatment of Thyroid Cancer

TREATMENT OF THYROID CANCER

Treatment of thyroid cancer. The thyroid, a little gland at the base of your neck that resembles a butterfly, is where thyroid cancer starts. The hormones that this gland produces control your metabolism, or how your body consumes energy. Additionally, thyroid hormones aid in regulating your  blood pressure and heart rate, and body temperature. As an endocrine cancer, thyroid cancer is typically very treatable and has a high cure rate.

TREATMENT OF THYROID CANCER

Thyroid cancer occurs in the thyroid gland, a part of your endocrine system. Your thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate body temperature, heart rate and metabolism. The majority of thyroid malignancies can be cured. Radiation, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, and radioiodine therapy are among the available treatments.

Types

Papillary: Papillary thyroid cancers account for up to 80% of all thyroid cancers. This kind of cancer develops gradually. Papillary thyroid carcinoma responds quite well to treatment, despite the fact that it frequently spreads to lymph nodes in the neck.

Rarely lethal, papillary thyroid carcinoma is very treatable.
Follicular: Up to 15% of thyroid cancer diagnoses are attributed to follicular thyroid carcinoma. It is more likely that this cancer will spread to your lungs and other bones and organs. Treatment for metastatic cancer, or cancer that spreads, may be more difficult.

Medullary: Malignancies account for around 2% of thyroid cancer cases. A family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma is present in 25% of cases. One possible cause is a defective gene.

Signs

Thyroid nodules are lumps or growths in the neck that you or your healthcare practitioner may feel. If you have a thyroid nodule, don’t freak out. The majority of nodules are not cancerous. About three out of every twenty thyroid nodules are found to be malignant, or cancerous.
Breathing or swallowing difficulties are further signs of thyroid cancer.
voice loss (hoarseness).
swelling in your neck’s lymph nodes.

You may have symptoms like fatigue if your thyroid cancer has metastasized, or spread, to other parts of your body.
appetite loss.
vomiting and nausea.
unexpected reduction in weight.

Causes

Thyroiditis; increased thyroid (goiter); family history of thyroid disease or thyroid cancer; gene mutations (alterations) that result in endocrine disorders, including multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A or type 2B syndrome; low iodine intake; radiation therapy for head and neck cancer, particularly in children; and exposure to radioactive fallout from nuclear weapons or a power plant accident.

Treatment

Treatment of thyroid cancer

Surgery: The most typical course of treatment for thyroid cancer is surgery. The size and location of the tumor will determine whether a surgeon removes your thyroid gland entirely (thyroidectomy) or just a portion of it (lobectomy). Additionally, the surgeon removes any lymph nodes in the area where cancer cells have disseminated.
Radioiodine therapy: In radioiodine therapy, a dose of radioactive iodine that is higher than that used in a diagnostic radioiodine scan is swallowed. Both the cancer cells and the damaged thyroid gland are destroyed by the radioiodine. This therapy is extremely safe. The majority of the radioiodine is absorbed by your thyroid gland, while the remainder of your body is exposed to very little radiation.

Summary

The optimal course of treatment for your particular type of thyroid cancer can be discussed with your healthcare professional. You might need to take synthetic thyroid hormones for the rest of your life after treatment. Essential bodily functions are supported by these hormones. You will have frequent checks to keep an eye on your health, but they typically don’t cause any serious adverse effects.