Is selenium supplementation useful for thyroid cancer

Selenium supplementation is generally useless for thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer patients need to be treated with surgery, radioactive iodine-131 therapy, chemotherapy, and other methods.

1. Surgical treatment: Thyroid cancer is a malignant tumor originating from the thyroid follicular epithelium or parafollicular epithelial cells, which may be related to ionizing radiation, genetics and other factors. If the patient is in the early stage, there are usually no obvious symptoms. When the tumor develops to a certain extent, symptoms such as neck lumps and hoarseness may appear. If the patient actively undergoes surgical resection after diagnosis, the goal of cure can be achieved. Surgical resection mainly includes two methods: total thyroidectomy and thyroid lobectomy. Total thyroidectomy is suitable for patients without lymph node metastasis, while thyroid lobectomy is suitable for patients with lymph node metastasis.

2. Radioactive iodine-131 therapy: Radioactive iodine-131 therapy mainly uses iodine-131 rays to destroy thyroid tissue, thereby reducing the synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormones to achieve the effect of curing the disease. This treatment method is mainly suitable for patients who cannot tolerate or refuse surgery, and can also be used for patients with postoperative recurrence or distant metastasis.

3. Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment method that uses chemical drugs to kill cancer cells. Its mechanism of action is to kill cancer cells or prevent their growth through oral or intravenous injection of chemical drugs. Commonly used chemical drugs include paclitaxel injection, cisplatin injection, etc.

In addition, it can also be improved through targeted drug therapy and other methods. It is recommended that patients seek medical treatment in time and choose appropriate treatment methods under the guidance of a doctor.