| Like other kinds of cancer, thyroid cancer refers to | | | | hours and requires a hospital stay of three days to a |
| the growth of abnormal cells which do not die out | | | | week. To a small extent, patients may experience |
| but multiply and overwhelm the healthy functioning of | | | | some complications such as hoarseness, excessive |
| body organs. There are various forms of thyroid | | | | bleeding or infection of the wound, and numbness. |
| cancer, depending on where the cancerous cells | | | | These conditions are usually quite rare. After the |
| develop. There are mainly four different types, | | | | surgery, patients will be placed on thyroid |
| namely: papillary, follicular, medullary and anaplastic | | | | replacement hormones to replace the missing cells. |
| thyroid cancer. | | | | The dose of replacement hormones is often high |
| In most cases, the affected people are unable to | | | | enough to help keep your TSH levels low. |
| detect the symptoms of thyroid cancer. Those who | | | | In addition, the thyroid treatment will also consists of |
| do have symptoms may notice a lump in their neck | | | | RAI therapy which is used to destroy any lingering |
| that appears to be expanding. Others may | | | | thyroid tissue that was not removed by surgery or |
| experience difficulty swallowing or having trouble | | | | to treat thyroid cancer that has spread to other |
| breathing smoothly. Having these symptoms do not | | | | parts of the body. RAI is the only way to kill cancer |
| necessarily means you have developed thyroid | | | | cells in the thyroid gland without causing harm to |
| cancer but the safest way is to consult a doctor for | | | | other parts of the body. Some people may |
| a physical examination. | | | | experience permanent side effects from RAI, which |
| When it comes to thyroid cancer treatment, the | | | | include tenderness in your neck, nausea, stomach |
| amount of surgery to be performed depends on the | | | | irritation and dry mouth. Some females may notice |
| type of cancer you have. In cases where the | | | | that their periods become irregular and men who |
| cancerous nodule is small and confined to one lobe, | | | | receive large doses may be at risk for infertility. |
| the doctor may only need to remove only one lobe. | | | | It is important to note that most people do not die |
| However, if the tumor is large and has spread to | | | | of thyroid cancer and they are able to live a normal |
| both lobes or beyond the thyroid gland, it's highly | | | | life after undergoing the thyroid cancer treatment. By |
| likely that the entire thyroid has to be removed. The | | | | closely following the doctor's instructions and taking |
| thyroid cancer treatment will vary accordingly to the | | | | good care of your body, thyroid cancer treatment |
| patient's condition. | | | | can definitely be a life saver for anyone! |
| Thyroid surgery for cancer usually takes about two | | | | |