Still, it is always better to get a diagnosis as early as possible. Take advantage of the Smart Symptom Checker to help your doctor figure out whether your thyroid has a mass or is simply an infection.
Thyroid cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the follicular cells of the thyroid. These cells secrete thyroid hormone, which controls the metabolic rate of the body and regulates a host of body functions. Thyroid hormone is produced in excess or under-produced amounts, and either too much or too little can be dangerous. Between one and two percent of thyroid cancers are left untreated, and most of them are treatable.
The primary intervention for thyroid cancer treatment is surgical resection of the thyroid gland. To get the best results, the surgeon should perform the surgery on a “high-volume” patient. That is, a surgeon who performs more than thirty cervical/thyroid surgeries per year. He should also provide specialized pediatric supportive care. Suboptimal surgery has been associated with an increased rate of recurrence and persistent disease. This means a repeat surgery.
After treatment, a thyroid cancer survivor will need lifelong follow-up care and regular testing for the presence of residual disease. This includes ensuring that the dosage of thyroid replacement hormone is correct. The treatment for thyroid cancer will vary based on the type and stage of the disease. It is also important to report any new symptoms, such as a new lump in the neck, difficulty swallowing, or pain in the neck. In addition, they will need to undergo thyroid cancer testing regularly, such as TSH and T4 hormone levels.
The USPSTF recommended that pediatric patients receive annual screening for thyroid cancer. This would ensure better care, gain more expertise from adult cancer specialists, and set up a proper transition care for the patient as they grow older. Ultimately, a multidisciplinary approach to thyroid cancer care in children would lead to a better understanding of the course of disease and the balance between the benefits and risks. The next step in thyroid cancer research should focus on multidisciplinary care.
The main treatment for thyroid cancer is surgery. This can be a total or partial thyroidectomy, or a thyroidectomy with lymphadenectomy. Additional treatments may include external radiation therapy or radioactive iodine. External-beam radiation therapy and chemotherapy are rarely used for early-stage thyroid cancers. However, if the cancer is not curable with surgery, radioactive iodine therapy is recommended. In addition, if the tumor grows again or spreads, a patient may need to undergo external radiation therapy.
Ultrasound is an additional diagnostic test for thyroid cancer. Using sound waves to produce an image, an ultrasound will show the structure of the thyroid and help determine if a fine-needle biopsy is required. Although this test is expensive and not cost-effective for a general population, it can detect a majority of small incidental thyroid cancers. When ultrasound is performed, it may be the first step in the diagnosis process. It has the potential to diagnose most cases of thyroid cancer in a small patient population.
