Current status of diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer

Many patients feel very desperate when they hear about thyroid cancer. They think that this disease cannot be cured and they can only wait to die. Even treatment will be useless. So, can thyroid cancer be treated now? What is the effect of the treatment? Today we will learn about the current status of thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment.

At present, there have been great breakthroughs in the treatment of thyroid cancer, and the way to treat thyroid cancer is also different from before. The most commonly used methods of treating thyroid cancer are classified into four types below. Now let's take a look:

The first is surgical treatment: surgical treatment of thyroid cancer includes surgery on the thyroid itself and neck lymph node dissection. There is still disagreement on the extent of thyroid resection, with the smallest range being lobe and isthmus resection and the largest being total thyroid resection.

The second method is radionuclide therapy: for papillary adenocarcinoma and follicular adenocarcinoma, 131 iodine radiotherapy is used after surgery. It is suitable for patients over 45 years old, multiple cancer foci, locally invasive tumors and those with distant metastases.

The third treatment method is endocrine therapy: patients who undergo subtotal or total thyroidectomy should take thyroxine tablets for life to prevent hypothyroidism and suppress TSH. Both papillary adenocarcinoma and follicular adenocarcinoma have TSH receptors, and TSH can affect the growth of thyroid cancer through its receptors.

The fourth treatment method is external beam radiation therapy: mainly used for anaplastic thyroid cancer.

So far, the treatment effect of thyroid cancer has made great breakthroughs compared with previous years. Doctors will choose appropriate treatment methods according to the patient's condition. Some patients can be cured or the spread of cancer can be controlled. Even if it cannot be cured, it can also control the spread and prolong life. Therefore, once patients are found to have thyroid cancer, they should seek medical attention as soon as possible.