Thyroid Cancer: Symptoms and Treatment
The number of cases of thyroid cancer, the most common malignancy of the endocrine system, has been increasing at an alarming rate in recent years. Of course, the increase in numbers is also attributed to the development of diagnostic methods, which now detect the disease more accurately and in a timely manner.
This is a disease that affects women more often. In fact, it is estimated that in a decade it will be the third most common cancer among the female population. Although it sounds scary, most of its forms are curable, as long as they are detected early and receive the appropriate treatment. It is indicative that deaths from thyroid cancer are lower than 1% of deaths from all other cancers.
Thyroid cancer occurs in various forms, depending on its origin. Thus, when it originates from follicular cells it can manifest as papillary, which is the most common at 80%, as follicular and as anaplastic or ametplastic. When it originates from the “C” cells of the thyroid it takes the form of medullary carcinoma.
Thyroid cancer and symptoms
In most cases, thyroid cancer does not cause symptoms. The most common thing is for the patient to accidentally discover a mass or a nodule in their neck or after an imaging examination of the cervix that had other purposes. Of course, if the mass has grown too much, it can lead to difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath, and in more advanced stages even to a feeling of choking and severe hoarseness.
Anaplastic cancer is usually the most easily detected, since it grows rapidly and manifests symptoms quickly, which are essentially caused by pressure from neighboring organs. However, this does not mean that every thyroid nodule is cancer. On the contrary, it is estimated that only 5% are malignant.
The causes of thyroid cancer remain unclear, but there are some risk factors that increase the likelihood of its occurrence, such as family history and exposure to radiation, after radiotherapy for other oncological diseases.
Diagnosis and treatment
To make a diagnosis, the doctor will request a detailed history and blood test – after palpating the cervix, he will proceed to perform an ultrasound and a fine needle aspiration, which is recommended for any nodule larger than 1 centimeter or for nodules with suspicious features on imaging tests.
The treatment of thyroid cancer is surgical, with total thyroidectomy being the most common, performed through an incision in the lower neck.
After the operation is complete and depending on the type of thyroid cancer, radioactive iodine is administered orally to destroy any malignant cells or small metastases in the lymph nodes that were not eliminated by surgery. The treatment cycle is completed with the administration of lifelong medication (thyroid hormone).
In addition to total thyroidectomy, complementary treatment options include radiation.
Recurrence of thyroid cancer after treatment is considered rare and usually occurs decades after the first treatment approach. It occurs when there were micrometastases of the cancer outside the gland, before it was removed, which were not apparent.
Choosing an experienced doctor who will be close to the patient at all stages of the process is particularly important for the early diagnosis of thyroid cancer, but also for its appropriate treatment.
