Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

 Thyroid cancer occurs in thyroid cells - a butterfly-shaped gland located just below your neck, below your Adam's apple. Your thyroid produces hormones that regulate your heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and weight.  



Thyroid cancer may not cause any symptoms at first. But as it grows, it causes pain and swelling in your neck. Most cases of thyroid cancer can be cured with treatment.  

In this blog, we will focus on its diagnosis and treatment! 

Diagnosis  

Tests and procedures used to diagnose thyroid cancer:  

  1. Physical examination 

  1. Blood test   

  1. Ultrasound imaging   

  1. Removal of a sample of thyroid tissue   

  1. CT, MRI, and nuclear imaging tests that use the radioactive form of iodine  

  1. Genetic testing  

Once you’ve been diagnosed for Thyroid Cancer, its treatment begins. 

Thyroid Cancer Treatment  

Your thyroid cancer treatment options depend on the type and stage of your thyroid cancer, your overall health, and your preferences.  

  1. Surgery  

Most people with thyroid cancer undergo surgery to remove the thyroid. Which operation your doctor might recommend depends on the type of thyroid cancer, the size of the tumour, whether cancer has spread beyond the thyroid, and the results of an ultrasound exam of the entire thyroid gland.  

Operations used to treat thyroid cancer include:  

  • Removing all or most of the thyroid (thyroidectomy).   

  • Removing a portion of the thyroid (thyroid lobectomy).   

  • Removing lymph nodes in the neck (lymph node dissection).   

 

  1. Thyroid hormone therapy  

After thyroidectomy, you may take the thyroid hormone medication levothyroxine.  

Two benefits - 

  • It supplies the missing hormone your thyroid would normally produce 

  •  It suppresses the production of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) from your pituitary gland.  

 

  1. Radioactive iodine  

Radioactive iodine treatment is often used after thyroidectomy to destroy any remaining healthy thyroid tissue and microscopic areas of thyroid cancer that weren't removed during surgery. Radioactive iodine treatment may also treat thyroid cancer that recurs after treatment or spreads to other body areas.  

 

  1. External radiation therapy  

External beam radiation therapy may be recommended if surgery isn't an option and your cancer continues to grow after radioactive iodine treatment. Radiation therapy may also be recommended after surgery if there's an increased risk that your cancer will recur.  

 

  1. Chemotherapy  

It's sometimes recommended for people with anaplastic thyroid cancer. Chemotherapy may be combined with radiation therapy.  

 

  1. Targeted drug therapy  

Targeted drug therapy for thyroid cancer targets the signals that tell cancer cells to grow and divide. It's typically used in advanced thyroid cancer.  

 

  1. Injecting alcohol into cancers  

Alcohol ablation involves injecting small thyroid cancers with alcohol using imaging such as ultrasound to ensure precise placement of the injection. This procedure causes thyroid cancers to shrink.   

For more guidance on Thyroid Cancer- HCG Oncology is there for you! 

To properly diagnose thyroid cancer and get the best thyroid cancer treatment, visit HCG, the best cancer hospital in India. They will provide you high level and advanced treatment under a team of expert oncologists and medical professionals to treat thyroid cancer and get the best treatment! 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Living with Cancer: Advice from Survivors

Nutrition and Kidney Cancer: How Your Diet Can Impact Treatment and Recovery

Connection Between Breast Cancer And Ovarian Cancer ?