How many years can a person with thyroid cancer live?

Thyroid cancer is a common malignant tumor, and the survival time varies according to the pathological type. Generally speaking, differentiated thyroid cancer has a better prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate of more than 90%; while undifferentiated cancer and medullary cancer have a poorer prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate of 10%-30%.

1. Differentiated thyroid cancer: including papillary carcinoma, follicular carcinoma, medullary carcinoma, etc., of which papillary carcinoma accounts for about 70%, follicular carcinoma accounts for about 20%, and medullary carcinoma accounts for about 10%. For patients discovered in the early stage, if there is no lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis, surgical resection can usually achieve a cure, and the probability of postoperative recurrence is low. The 5-year survival rate of such patients is relatively high, at more than 90%;

2. Undifferentiated cancer: Undifferentiated cancer is a highly malignant thyroid cancer that grows quickly and is prone to distant metastasis. For patients with undifferentiated cancer, if they are in the early stages of the disease and undergo surgical resection in a timely manner, they may have a better prognosis. However, if the disease develops to the late stage, the prognosis is poor, and the patient's 5-year survival rate is 10%-30%;

3. Medullary carcinoma: Medullary carcinoma accounts for 10% of thyroid cancers. Compared with undifferentiated carcinoma, its malignancy is relatively low. However, medullary carcinoma has the function of secreting calcitonin, which can cause symptoms such as diarrhea and palpitations. If it is diagnosed as medullary carcinoma, it needs to be treated with surgery in time, combined with auxiliary treatment measures such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Patients are advised to maintain good living and eating habits in daily life. At the same time, they also need to pay attention to regular review of thyroid color Doppler ultrasound, thyroid function test and other related examination items.