Thyroid Cancer

If your provider thinks you may have thyroid cancer, you will need certain exams and tests to be sure. After reviewing your symptoms, health history, risk factors, and performing a physical exam, they may order blood tests and/or an ultrasound of your thyroid.

A biopsy is the only way to know for sure if you have thyroid cancer. This is usually done through fine-needle aspiration, during which a small needle is inserted through the skin and into the thyroid to collect small pieces of tissue for testing.

Treatments include:

Surgery. This is the most common treatment for thyroid cancer, and the type of surgery depends on the size of the tumor and the type of thyroid cancer. Your surgeon may remove half the thyroid or the entire gland. 

Radioactive iodine (RAI). This treatment finds and destroys thyroid cells that were not taken out in surgery or that spread beyond the thyroid. It also provides whole body imaging to see if the thyroid cancer has spread. RAI is administered as a drink or capsules and requires following a low-iodine diet. It includes a multi-day protocol of treatment and scans, followed by radiation precautions and social distancing to reduce risk of radiation exposure to others. 

Thyroid hormone medicine (levothyroxine). This type of treatment is needed after your thyroid gland has been removed, or if it's no longer making enough thyroid hormones. Levothyroxine is an exact duplicate of natural "T4" thyroid hormone. When given at a higher-than-usual dose, levothyroxine can also slow the growth of any remaining cancer cells.

External radiation therapy. Strong X-rays or other beams of energy can be used to kill cancer cells. Radiation is often used for later stage cancers or those that have spread to other areas like the voice box or esophagus (swallowing tube).

Targeted therapy. These medicines target specific changes found on some thyroid cancer cells. They may be used if other treatments aren't working, or if cancer comes back or spreads to other parts of the body after other treatments.