Thyroid cancer
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Thyroid cancer occurs when cells grow unusually fast. The disease is quite rare, and doctors' prognosis when it is detected is generally positive. This cancer is usually detected at an early stage and is easily treated.
The effectiveness of thyroid cancer treatment at the Humanitas Medical Center is achieved through extensive experience and an interdisciplinary approach to diagnostics and treatment. Advanced medical technologies are used here and there is ongoing cooperation with leading global oncology centers.
The minimally invasive surgical methods used ensure high treatment efficiency with minimal trauma and rapid recovery of patients, even at late stages of cancer. And thanks to complex chemotherapy and joint work with the nuclear medicine department, Humanitas uses advanced technologies.
In this article, we will look at how thyroid cancer manifests itself and what treatment options modern medicine offers. In particular, the Humanitas private clinic network is one of the leading medical institutions in Italy.
Risk factors and symptoms of thyroid cancer
Scientists distinguish several types of thyroid cancer:
Papillary – 76%.
Follicular – 14%.
Medullary – up to 6%;
Anaplastic and undifferentiated – up to 4%.
Even less frequently, patients experience lymphoma, sarcoma, metastatic and other cancers – no more than 2% in total.
Many experts call radiation one of the main risk factors. If a person has been exposed to high levels of radiation, the risk of developing the disease increases significantly.
Other factors include:
Family history. If there are people with this disease in the family, there is a chance that it will be passed on genetically. If one family member has been found to have an altered gene, other relatives are strongly advised to take a blood test.
Age-related changes. Most patients with thyroid cancer are over 40 years old. And those with anaplastic cancer are over 65 years old.
Race: Statistics show that white people are more likely to develop the disease than African Americans.
Iodine deficiency in the body. Thyroid cancer (follicular and papillary) is especially common in regions and countries where food products contain low amounts of iodine.
Main symptoms:
the appearance of a lump on the neck, often rapidly growing;
constant pain in the neck, which sometimes radiates to the ears;
hoarseness in the voice and difficulty swallowing;
difficulty breathing;
frequent cough.
These symptoms individually may not indicate oncology, but may be caused by other diseases. But if they are detected (especially several at once), it is recommended to immediately contact a specialist for diagnostics.
Diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer
Initially, the patient undergoes a consultation and examination by an oncologist for a general assessment of the clinical picture. After that, an ultrasound of the thyroid gland. This allows you to get general information about the neoplasm: structure, fluid filling (cyst), the presence of multiple nodes, etc.
After this, an isotope scan is performed, which determines whether the cancer has spread beyond the thyroid gland. Next, a biopsy of the tumor tissue is performed, followed by a study of the materials and a CT scan of the liver. Sometimes, a CT scan of the abdominal cavity and chest is prescribed.
After conducting interdisciplinary diagnostics, Humanitas specialists prescribe an individual treatment program for the patient and begin implementing it. All features of the disease are taken into account: stage, size and type of tumor, its location, as well as the patient's age, individual physiological characteristics and general condition.
The treatment process may include the following activities:
surgical removal of tumor tissue;
hormonal therapy;
radioactive iodine treatment;
chemotherapy;
radiotherapy.
Most often, Humanitas uses 2-4 methods to ensure a comprehensive result. One method is often not enough to remove the tumor and prevent relapses. A whole specialized department deals with the diagnosis and treatment of this problem - the group for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors.
The main method for many years now has been surgical intervention, in which the gland is partially or completely removed along with regional lymph nodes. Moreover, both lobes of the gland are usually removed, even if the tumor is formed on only one. This is dictated by the fact that the tumor still spreads through the lymph nodes to the second lobe.
After the tumor is removed, the patient is prescribed thyroid hormone therapy to suppress the production of TSH and destroy residual tumor cells. If necessary, other treatment measures are prescribed to achieve greater treatment effectiveness.
The effectiveness of thyroid cancer treatment at the Humanitas Medical Center is achieved through extensive experience and an interdisciplinary approach to diagnostics and treatment. Advanced medical technologies are used here and there is ongoing cooperation with leading global oncology centers.
The minimally invasive surgical methods used ensure high treatment efficiency with minimal trauma and rapid recovery of patients, even at late stages of cancer. And thanks to complex chemotherapy and joint work with the nuclear medicine department, Humanitas uses advanced technologies.
In this article, we will look at how thyroid cancer manifests itself and what treatment options modern medicine offers. In particular, the Humanitas private clinic network is one of the leading medical institutions in Italy.
Risk factors and symptoms of thyroid cancer
Scientists distinguish several types of thyroid cancer:
Papillary – 76%.
Follicular – 14%.
Medullary – up to 6%;
Anaplastic and undifferentiated – up to 4%.
Even less frequently, patients experience lymphoma, sarcoma, metastatic and other cancers – no more than 2% in total.
Many experts call radiation one of the main risk factors. If a person has been exposed to high levels of radiation, the risk of developing the disease increases significantly.
Other factors include:
Family history. If there are people with this disease in the family, there is a chance that it will be passed on genetically. If one family member has been found to have an altered gene, other relatives are strongly advised to take a blood test.
Age-related changes. Most patients with thyroid cancer are over 40 years old. And those with anaplastic cancer are over 65 years old.
Race: Statistics show that white people are more likely to develop the disease than African Americans.
Iodine deficiency in the body. Thyroid cancer (follicular and papillary) is especially common in regions and countries where food products contain low amounts of iodine.
Main symptoms:
the appearance of a lump on the neck, often rapidly growing;
constant pain in the neck, which sometimes radiates to the ears;
hoarseness in the voice and difficulty swallowing;
difficulty breathing;
frequent cough.
These symptoms individually may not indicate oncology, but may be caused by other diseases. But if they are detected (especially several at once), it is recommended to immediately contact a specialist for diagnostics.
Diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer
Initially, the patient undergoes a consultation and examination by an oncologist for a general assessment of the clinical picture. After that, an ultrasound of the thyroid gland. This allows you to get general information about the neoplasm: structure, fluid filling (cyst), the presence of multiple nodes, etc.
After this, an isotope scan is performed, which determines whether the cancer has spread beyond the thyroid gland. Next, a biopsy of the tumor tissue is performed, followed by a study of the materials and a CT scan of the liver. Sometimes, a CT scan of the abdominal cavity and chest is prescribed.
After conducting interdisciplinary diagnostics, Humanitas specialists prescribe an individual treatment program for the patient and begin implementing it. All features of the disease are taken into account: stage, size and type of tumor, its location, as well as the patient's age, individual physiological characteristics and general condition.
The treatment process may include the following activities:
surgical removal of tumor tissue;
hormonal therapy;
radioactive iodine treatment;
chemotherapy;
radiotherapy.
Most often, Humanitas uses 2-4 methods to ensure a comprehensive result. One method is often not enough to remove the tumor and prevent relapses. A whole specialized department deals with the diagnosis and treatment of this problem - the group for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors.
The main method for many years now has been surgical intervention, in which the gland is partially or completely removed along with regional lymph nodes. Moreover, both lobes of the gland are usually removed, even if the tumor is formed on only one. This is dictated by the fact that the tumor still spreads through the lymph nodes to the second lobe.
After the tumor is removed, the patient is prescribed thyroid hormone therapy to suppress the production of TSH and destroy residual tumor cells. If necessary, other treatment measures are prescribed to achieve greater treatment effectiveness.