World Thyroid Day ( May 25)- Early Detection Key to Treating Thyroid Cancer
( Apollo Hospital & Adyar Cancer Institute)
Early Detection Key to Treating Thyroid Cancer
Survival
rates in well differentiated thyroid cancer is much better than any other
cancer
Thyroid cancer is the most common
cancer of the endocrine system and occurs in all age groups. In India the
number of new cases of thyroid cancer is 13.9 per 100,000 men and women per
year. Among both men and women, the number of new cases of thyroid cancer is
increasing at a faster rate than any other type of cancer.
The Madras
Metropoliton Tumor Registry (MMTR) Chennai has also recorded an increasing
incidence in thyroid cancers over the last 25 years, the increase can be partly
attributed to increasing use of neck imaging (Ultrasound/CT scans/PET-CT scans)
resulting in early detection and thereby treatment of smaller thyroid cancers.
Thyroid cancers are a diverse group of malignancies ranging from
indolent micropapillary carcinomas which has little effect on life expectancy
to highly lethal anaplastic carcinomas which are invariably fatal. Papillary
and follicular cancers often referred to as “well-differentiated” thyroid
cancers (WDTC), are the most common types of thyroid cancer. Together, they
account for about 90% of thyroid cancers.
According to Dr. Shelley Simon Senior
Consultant, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Apollo Hospital “I see
almost 400 plus patients a year who suffer from this disease. Out of these 80
per cent of the patients fall in the low risk category. That means that with
the right treatment and regular follow ups these patients can live a good
quality of life.”
The typical presentation of a thyroid cancer is in the form of a
painless thyroid nodule. The other symptoms of thyroid cancers, which are
invariably suggestive of advanced disease, include pain in the lower front part
of the neck, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, hoarseness of voice, and/or
trouble in breathing and swallowing. Physical examination, blood tests, thyroid
ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration biopsies are usually done to detect
thyroid cancer in a patient.
The primary management for most patients with thyroid cancer is
surgical removal of the entire thyroid gland (Total thyroidectomy). Following
surgery, the patients are required to undergo radioactive iodine scans and
radioactive ablative procedures when indicated. To have a successful outcome of
this procedure all patients are required to have high levels of
thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH or thyrotropin) in the blood which can be
given through either by withdrawing thyroid hormone therapy or recombinant
thyroid stimulating hormone injections.
Withdrawal of Thyroid hormones can lead
to moderate to severe hypothyroidism which may impact the quality of life while
the injections to raise TSH levels may be costly but helps patients to remain
on normal life style. Subsequently, the patients take thyroid replacement
hormone medicine throughout their lives.
“As with all cancers, timely detection and appropriate treatment
are the prerequisites for a better outcome “says Dr. Arvind
Krishnamurthy, Professor, Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute, Adyar, Chennai. He
further goes on to state that “a successful treatment plan involves adopting a
collaborative approach and combining the expertise of head and neck surgeons,
endocrinologists and a nuclear physician. Most of the thyroid cancers are
treatable with surgery and other associated treatment options. Total
thyroidectomy is a safe procedure in skilled hands; the morbidity created by a
poorly performed thyroid gland operation can exceed the morbidity caused by
leaving some thyroid lesions alone. Patients with well differentiated
thyroid cancers in general have a favorable prognosis compared with that of
patients with many other solid tumors”
“On World Thyroid day, I would like to
request everyone that if you feel a lump in your throat or a swelling do visit
a doctor. Most people would rather wait than act, in this case specifically the
sooner you act the sooner you get treated. There is also a need amongst doctors
to counsel the patients after surgery and tell them the importance of regular
follow ups.” Says Dr. Simon
About Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer is a malignant growth or tumor in the thyroid
gland. It is the most common cancer of the endocrine system (the endocrine
system consists of glands throughout the body that produce hormones).
Thyroid
cancer occurs in men as well as in women and can occur at any age. However,
thyroid cancer occurs almost three times more often in women than in men. Among
both men and women, the number of new cases of thyroid cancer is increasing at
a faster rate than any other type of cancer.
There is a very high treatment
success rate for most types of thyroid cancer when diagnosed and treated early.
Despite high treatment success, it is important to know that up to one-third of
thyroid cancers can recur, sometimes even decades after the initial treatment.
For this reason, thyroid cancer requires long-term monitoring to make sure that
the cancer has not come back, or if it has, to begin treatment right away.
The primary management for most patients with thyroid cancer is
surgical removal of the entire thyroid gland (Total thyroidectomy). Following
surgery, the patients are required to undergo radioactive iodine scans and
radioactive ablative procedures when indicated. To have a successful outcome of
this procedure all patients are required to have high levels of
thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH or thyrotropin) in the blood which can be
given through either by withdrawing thyroid hormone therapy or recombinant
thyroid stimulating hormone injections.
Withdrawal of Thyroid hormones can lead
to moderate to severe hypothyroidism which may impact the quality of life while
the injections to raise TSH levels may be costly but helps patients to remain
on normal life style. Subsequently, the patients take thyroid replacement
hormone medicine throughout their lives.
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