Thyroid cancer

How common is thyroid cancer?

It is more common in women (about three times more common) and it is estimated that about 1.2% of the population will develop some form of thyroid cancer.

Who are more likely to get thyroid cancer?

Risk factors include radiation exposure (even if it occurred 10-30 years earlier), obesity and various genetic syndromes of multiple endocrine neoplasia.

Are there any symptoms indicative of thyroid cancer?

Thyroid cancer usually has no symptoms. Sometimes patients may develop a palpable lump in the neck area (from a thyroid nodule or abnormal lymph nodes), which is noticed by themselves or their familiars. Rarely they may experience hoarse voice or change in the tone of voice, coughing and choking sensation and very rarely throat pain. It is worth noting that thyroid cancer is often discovered incidentally as part of a thyroid or neck imaging check, done for other reasons.

What tests does a patient with suspected thyroid cancer undergo?

The easiest and most reliable test for thyroid screening is ultrasound, which can detect the presence of nodules, their size and features suspicious for cancer. Ultrasound can also be used for comparative monitoring of nodules and fine needle aspiration (FNA) for cytological examination.

Should all thyroid nodules be evacuated?

It should be noted that thyroid nodules occur in a large part of the population, but less than 10% are malignant. The nodules that require paracentesis are those that are larger than 1 cm or rapidly increasing in size and those that have ultrasound findings suspicious for malignancy, such as abnormal margins, increased vascularity and micro-calcifications.

How is thyroid cancer diagnosed?

The definitive diagnosis of thyroid cancer is made by histological examination of a biopsy taken usually by fine needle under ultrasound guidance.

What are the treatments available today?

The treatment of well-differentiated thyroid carcinomas is based on surgical treatment with total (or partial) thyroidectomy and lymph node cleansing of the neck. This is followed by radioactive iodine therapy. Radiotherapy is used for locally advanced disease or for cases of recurrence and chemotherapy and targeted therapies for metastatic carcinomas.