What should be checked after surgical treatment of thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer surgery requires regular follow-up, mainly including physical examination, blood test, thyroid function test, ultrasound examination, etc. Through the above examinations, we can understand the patient's physical recovery and whether there is a recurrence.

1. Physical Examination

During the physical examination, the doctor will perform a comprehensive palpation of the patient's neck, and will also examine the patient's trachea, esophagus, nerves and other related parts to determine whether there is lymph node metastasis or distant organ metastasis.

2. Routine blood test

A routine blood test is mainly to detect whether the number of white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets in the blood is normal. If abnormal, it indicates that there may be a risk of infection or bleeding.

3. Thyroid function test

Thyroid function tests evaluate the functional status of the thyroid gland by measuring the level of thyroid hormones, including thyrotropin (TSH), total T3, total T4, free T3, and free T4. When FT3 and FT4 increase and TSH decreases, it is considered to be primary hyperthyroidism; otherwise, it is considered to be secondary hypothyroidism. If all indicators are within the normal range, it means that there are no obvious symptoms of discomfort in the body.

4. Ultrasound examination

Ultrasound examination is a non-invasive imaging examination method that is widely used in clinical practice. It can scan human tissues through ultrasound to observe the specific structure inside the human body. It can also be used to diagnose thyroid diseases. For patients who have undergone thyroid cancer surgery, regular ultrasound examinations can promptly detect recurrence or metastasis.

In addition, other auxiliary examination items need to be selected according to different conditions, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), CT examination, etc. It is recommended that patients follow the doctor's advice and go to the hospital for regular follow-up visits to clarify their own recovery status.