sue (total thyroidectomy) or most of the thyroid tissue (near-total thyroidectomy). The surgeon often leaves small borders of thyroid tissue around the parathyroid glands to reduce the risk of damage to the parathyroid glands, which help regulate calcium levels in the blood.
- Removal of a portion of the thyroid (thyroid lobectomy): During a thyroid lobectomy, the surgeon eliminates half of the thyroid. It might be recommended if you have slow-growing thyroid cancer in one part of the thyroid and there are no suspicious nodules in other areas of the thyroid.
- Removal of the lymph nodes in the neck (lymph node dissection): By removing the thyroid, the surgeon can also remove nearby lymph nodes in the neck. These can be tested for signs of cancer.
- There is also a risk that the nerves connected to the vocal cords may not function normally after surgery, which can lead to vocal cord paralysis, hoarseness, voice changes, or shortness of breath. Treatment can improve or reverse nerve problems.
Thyroid hormone therapy
This medication has two benefits: it supplies the missing hormone that the thyroid would normally produce, and it suppresses the production of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) from the pituitary gland. High levels of TSH could stimulate the growth of the remaining cancer cells.
Radioactive iodine treatment uses large doses of a form of iodine that is radioactive.
Radioactive iodine treatment is frequently used after thyroidectomy to destroy any residual healthy thyroid tissue, as well as microscopic areas of this disease that were not removed during surgery. Radioactive iodine treatment can also be used to treat thyroid cancer that comes back after treatment or has spread to other areas of the body.
Side effects can include:
- Dry mouth
- Mouth pain
- Eye inflammation
- Altered sense of taste or smell
Most of the radioactive iodine leaves your body in your urine during the first few days after treatment. You will be given instructions on the precautions to take during this time to protect others from radiation. For example, you may be asked to temporarily avoid close contact with other people, especially children, and pregnant women.
External radiation therapy
Radiation therapy can also be delivered externally by a machine that directs high-energy beams, such as x-rays and protons, to precise points on the body (external beam radiation therapy). During treatment, you lie still on a table while a machine changes about you.
Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses chemicals to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy is usually given as an infusion through a vein. The chemicals travel throughout the body and destroy rapidly growing cells, including cancer cells.
Targeted drug therapy
Targeted drug treatments focus on specific abnormalities present in cancer cells. By delaying these abnormalities, targeted drug treatments can reason cancer cells to die.
Injecting alcohol into cancers
Alcohol ablation involves injecting alcohol into small thyroid cancers using imaging such as ultrasound to ensure accurate injection placement. This procedure causes thyroid cancers to shrink.
Supportive (palliative) care
Palliative care is specialized medical care that focuses on providing relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious illness. Palliative care specialists work with you, your family, and your other doctors to provide an additional layer of support to complement your ongoing care.
Despite treatment, thyroid cancer can return, even if your thyroid has been removed. This could happen if microscopic disease cells spread beyond the thyroid before being removed.
This disease can come back in:
- Lymph nodes in the neck
- Small pieces of thyroid tissue that remain during surgery
- Other areas of the body, such as the lungs and bones
Thyroid cancer that comes back can be treated. Your doctor may recommend regular blood tests or thyroid scans to check for signs of this disease recurrence.
Doctors aren’t sure what causes most thyroid cancer, so there is no way to prevent this disease in people who are at average risk for the dise