Thyroid Cancer Treatment at Sheba Medical Center
Thyroid cancer occurs in the cells of the thyroid, a gland located in the neck. This butterfly-shaped gland produces hormones to regulate heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure, and body weight. During the early stages, thyroid cancer often remains symptomless. Once the cancer grows, it can cause pain, swollen lymph nodes, hoarseness, and difficulty swallowing. At Sheba Medical Center, we provide progressive, integrative thyroid cancer treatment in Israel. Multidisciplinary specialists collaborate to personalize and optimize every patient’s therapy.
Types of Treatment for Thyroid Cancer
Surgery
Surgery is the most common treatment for thyroid cancer, and the type of surgical procedure that our doctors recommend depends on various factors, including the type of cancer, size of the tumor, whether the cancer has spread, and the imaging results of the entire gland.
Surgeries to treat thyroid cancer:
- Thyroidectomy – removes all or most of the thyroid; often, the surgeon intentionally leaves small borders of thyroid tissue around the parathyroid glands, minimizing damage to the glands that regulate calcium levels in the blood.
- Thyroid lobectomy – half the thyroid is removed; typically done when the cancer is slow growing and isolated in one area
- Lymph node dissection – when removing the thyroid, the surgeon may remove nearby lymph nodes to test them for cancer
Hormone therapy
After the thyroid is surgically removed, thyroid hormone medications are needed permanently. This drug replaces the missing hormone normally manufactured by the thyroid, and it also suppresses the production of TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) from the pituitary gland.
Radioactive iodine
Large doses of a particular form of radioactive iodine may be given after thyroidectomy in capsule or liquid form. This therapy can be used to destroy any remaining thyroid tissue and microscopic areas of thyroid cancer, with minimal risk of damage to other body cells.
- External radiation therapy: A machine that precisely aims high-energy beams may be recommended as treatment if surgery isn’t an option or when the cancer continues to grow after surgery and radioactive iodine treatment.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy, usually given as an intravenous infusion, kills cancer cells throughout the body. This treatment is not typically used for most patients with thyroid cancer.
Targeted drug therapy
Targeted drugs can be administered to block specific abnormalities in cancer cells, effectively causing them to die. This is used most frequently to treat advanced thyroid cancer.
Alcohol ablation
With the aid of ultrasound, alcohol can be injected into small thyroid cancers to cause the tumors to shrink. This is most suitable for small cancers and when surgery isn’t possible.
Our Doctors
Jacob Ilany, MD
Senior Physician, Institute of Endocrinology
Dr. Ilany specializes in endocrine disorders, diabetes and metabolism. He received his medical degree from the Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, and completed a fellowship in endocrinology at the Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. His primary research interests are: principle investigator and sub-investigator in several clinical studies, including phase II and III studies of new medications, as well as conducting a clinical study to evaluate glucose abnormalities in patients with acute coronary events.
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Eran Alon, MD
Director, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Director, Pediatric Otolaryngology Service
Dr. Alon specializes in adult and pediatric otolaryngology and works primarily in the field of surgery. He is a world-class expert in head and neck oncology and microvascular reconstructive surgery of the face, head, and neck. Dr. Alon founded the Plastic Microsurgery Service at Sheba. He is a member of many professional medical associations and has received numerous international awards in healthcare.
Read MoreWhy Come to Sheba for Thyroid Cancer Treatment
World-renowned experts
Our doctors are highly qualified and experienced, having trained in leading international cancer institutes
All-inclusive care
Diagnostics and treatments are provided conveniently under one roof on our vast campus
Cutting-edge treatments
We offer groundbreaking brachytherapy for thyroid cancer
Personal Touch
A dedicated medical coordinator from Global patient services helps with all arrangements, including travel, accommodations, and communication
Internationally recognized
Sheba was listed in the Top 10 Hospitals in the World by Newsweek, and we are fully accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), the gold standard for quality and safety in healthcare
Affordable
Hospital fees are transparent, with no hidden costs
Sheba Medical Center A Leader in Medicine and Biotechnological Innovation
Holistic Healing at Sheba
When we treat patients with thyroid cancer, we focus on more than the disease. Sheba’s doctors practice medicine with an integrative, customized approach – using professional expertise to design effective treatments that also maximize quality of life for each individual. Therapies are comprehensive and compassionate, including the services of social workers, rehabilitation therapists, and psychologists. We believe that the success of treating a patient with cancer is based on the collaboration of multidisciplinary specialists.
Request a consultation
Sheba Medical Center provides innovative, personalized medical care to patients from around the world. We are the largest, most comprehensive hospital in the Middle East and dedicated to providing advanced and compassionate medicine for everyone.
We welcome all cases, including the rarest and the most challenging. Our medical teams collaborate to provide the best possible health outcomes. From your initial inquiry through the long-term follow-up care, we are here for you.
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