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There are about 20,000 new cases of thyroid cancer each year in the United States.
Females are more likely to have thyroid cancer at a ratio of three to one. Thyroid cancer can occur in any age group, although it is most common after age 30 and its aggressiveness increases significantly in older patients.
The majority of patients present with a nodule on their thyroid which typically does not cause symptoms. Remember, over 99% of thyroid nodules are not cancer! But, when a thyroid cancer does begin to grow within a thyroid gland, it almost always does so within a discrete nodule within the thyroid.
Symptoms of thyroid cancer: Occasionally, symptoms such as hoarseness, neck pain, and enlarged lymph nodes do occur in people with thyroid cancer.. Although as much as 75 % of the population will have thyroid nodules, the vast majority are benign. That’s right, most of us have nodule in our thyroid glands! Young people usually don’t have thyroid nodules, but as we get older, more and more of us will develop a nodule. By the time we are 80, 90% of us will have at least one nodule. Far less than 1% of all thyroid nodules are malignant A nodule which is cold on scan is more likely to be malignant, nevertheless, the majority of these are benign as well Thyroid Cancer Type and Incidence Papillary and/or mixed papillary/follicular ~ 78%
[ Follicular and/or Hurthle cell ~ 17% Medullary ~ 4% Anaplastic ~ 1% Overview of Typical
Thyroid Cancer Treatment : Usually diagnosed by sticking a needle into a thyroid nodule or removal of a worrisome thyroid nodule by a surgeon.
The removed thyroid nodule is looked at under a microscope by a pathologist who will then decide if the nodule is benign (95 – 99% of all nodules that are biopsied) or malignant (way less than 1% of all nodules, and about 1 – 5 % of nodules that are biopsied).
The pathologist decides which type of thyroid cancer it is: papillary, follicular, mixed papilofollicuar, medullary, or anaplastic.
The entire thyroid is removed by a competent surgeon (sometimes this is done during the same operation where the biopsy takes place). He/she will assess the lymph nodes in the neck to see if they need to be removed also.
In the case of anaplastic thyroid cancer, a decision will be made regarding the possibility of a tracheotomy. About 4-6 weeks after the thyroid has been removed, the patient will undergo radioactive iodine treatment. This is very simple and consists of taking a single pill. The pill will contain the radioactive iodine in the dose that has been calculated for that individual.
The patient goes home, avoids contact with other people for a couple of days (so they are not exposed to the radioactive materials), and that’s it.
A week or two after the radioactive iodine treatment the patient is started on a thyroid hormone pill. You can’t live without thyroid hormone and since you don’t have a thyroid anymore, the patient will take one pill per day for the rest of their life.
This is very simple and a very common medication (example of drug names are: Synthroid, Levoxyl, Armour Thyroid, etc).
Every 6 – 12 months the patient returns to his endocrinologist for blood tests to determine if the dose of daily thyroid hormone is correct and to make sure that the thyroid tumor is not coming back. The frequency of these follow up tests and which tests to get will vary greatly from patient to patient. Endocrinologists are typically quite good at this and will typically be the type of doctor that follows this patient long-term.
Take Precautions And Live A Better Life..............Healthy Regardshttp://www.needearn.com/aft/e34118b3.html ( S.P )
Females are more likely to have thyroid cancer at a ratio of three to one. Thyroid cancer can occur in any age group, although it is most common after age 30 and its aggressiveness increases significantly in older patients.
The majority of patients present with a nodule on their thyroid which typically does not cause symptoms. Remember, over 99% of thyroid nodules are not cancer! But, when a thyroid cancer does begin to grow within a thyroid gland, it almost always does so within a discrete nodule within the thyroid.
Symptoms of thyroid cancer: Occasionally, symptoms such as hoarseness, neck pain, and enlarged lymph nodes do occur in people with thyroid cancer.. Although as much as 75 % of the population will have thyroid nodules, the vast majority are benign. That’s right, most of us have nodule in our thyroid glands! Young people usually don’t have thyroid nodules, but as we get older, more and more of us will develop a nodule. By the time we are 80, 90% of us will have at least one nodule. Far less than 1% of all thyroid nodules are malignant A nodule which is cold on scan is more likely to be malignant, nevertheless, the majority of these are benign as well Thyroid Cancer Type and Incidence Papillary and/or mixed papillary/follicular ~ 78%
[ Follicular and/or Hurthle cell ~ 17% Medullary ~ 4% Anaplastic ~ 1% Overview of Typical
Thyroid Cancer Treatment : Usually diagnosed by sticking a needle into a thyroid nodule or removal of a worrisome thyroid nodule by a surgeon.
The removed thyroid nodule is looked at under a microscope by a pathologist who will then decide if the nodule is benign (95 – 99% of all nodules that are biopsied) or malignant (way less than 1% of all nodules, and about 1 – 5 % of nodules that are biopsied).
The pathologist decides which type of thyroid cancer it is: papillary, follicular, mixed papilofollicuar, medullary, or anaplastic.
The entire thyroid is removed by a competent surgeon (sometimes this is done during the same operation where the biopsy takes place). He/she will assess the lymph nodes in the neck to see if they need to be removed also.
In the case of anaplastic thyroid cancer, a decision will be made regarding the possibility of a tracheotomy. About 4-6 weeks after the thyroid has been removed, the patient will undergo radioactive iodine treatment. This is very simple and consists of taking a single pill. The pill will contain the radioactive iodine in the dose that has been calculated for that individual.
The patient goes home, avoids contact with other people for a couple of days (so they are not exposed to the radioactive materials), and that’s it.
A week or two after the radioactive iodine treatment the patient is started on a thyroid hormone pill. You can’t live without thyroid hormone and since you don’t have a thyroid anymore, the patient will take one pill per day for the rest of their life.
This is very simple and a very common medication (example of drug names are: Synthroid, Levoxyl, Armour Thyroid, etc).
Every 6 – 12 months the patient returns to his endocrinologist for blood tests to determine if the dose of daily thyroid hormone is correct and to make sure that the thyroid tumor is not coming back. The frequency of these follow up tests and which tests to get will vary greatly from patient to patient. Endocrinologists are typically quite good at this and will typically be the type of doctor that follows this patient long-term.
Take Precautions And Live A Better Life..............Healthy Regardshttp://www.needearn.com/aft/e34118b3.html ( S.P )
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