Thyroid Cancer Treatment

Thyroid cancer staging is complex and is dependent upon several factors, including the age of the patient and the exact type of tumor present. In general, patients under 45 with papillary or follicular thyroid carcinoma have good outcomes.

Some signs and symptoms of thyroid cancer include:

• A lump or swelling in the front of the neck
• Pain in the front of the neck
• Vocal changes that do not resolve
• Prolonged cough
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty breathing

Diagnosis of thyroid cancer is achieved through a combination of physical examination, imaging, and pathology. A thyroid ultrasound is usually one of the first steps, followed by a thyroid biopsy. A pathologist will normally be able to tell if thyroid cancer is present and its type based on the biopsy results.

At Sheba Medical Center, we take a comprehensive and integrative approach to thyroid cancer treatment. Our oncologists, radiation oncologists, endocrinologists, and head and neck surgeons all collaborate to provide our patients with effective, tailor made medicine. When thyroid cancer is diagnosed, treatment begins immediately with our patient’s best interests in mind.

In general, treatment of thyroid cancer is very effective, especially if the cancer is not metastatic, or spread to other areas of the body. Treatment modalities may include surgical resection of the thyroid in the hopes of removing all the cancer cells. Chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy may be used in conjunction with surgery or by themselves.

Chemotherapy can be performed with traditional chemotherapy drugs as well as with targeted drugs. These drugs tend to kill only cancer cells while sparing normal cells. This results in fewer side effects and the option of using higher doses to more effectively eradicate the cancer.

Radiotherapy can be of the external beam variety or may be with radioactive iodine. Since the thyroid takes up iodine in the bloodstream, treatment with radioactive iodine can be very effective at targeting the thyroid.

Thyroid carcinoma is stimulated by a hormone known as thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), produced by the pituitary gland. Hormone therapy can cause the pituitary to produce less TSH, thereby slowing the cancer growth. Patients who have had a thyroidectomy, or complete removal of the thyroid, must also usually take hormone supplements to replace the hormones lost by their absence of a thyroid gland.