Health Tips

Thyroid cancer:-
Introduction:
There are about 37,000 new cases of thyroid cancer each year in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. Females are more susceptible to cancer of the thyroid gland in the proportion of three to one. Thyroid cancer can occur in any age group, although it is most common after the age of 30, and its aggressiveness increases in older patients. The vast majority of patients present with nodules on the thyroid gland, which usually do not cause symptoms. Remember, more than 99% of thyroid nodules are not cancer. But when it starts thyroid cancer does not grow inside the thyroid gland, it does so almost always within a separate nodule in the thyroid gland.
Symptoms of thyroid cancer:-
Occasionally, symptoms such as hoarseness, neck pain, swollen lymph nodes occur in people with cancer of the thyroid gland. Although up to 75% of the population will have thyroid nodules, the vast majority are benign. Young people usually do not have thyroid nodules, but with age, it is likely that the development of nodules. By this time we are 80, 90% of us will be at least one of the nodules.

Less than 1% of all thyroid nodules are malignant. And nodules that are cold on scan (as shown in the picture outlined in red and yellow) are likely to be malignant. However, the majority of these are benign as well.

Types of thyroid cancer:-
There are four types of thyroid cancer, and some are more common than others.

Thyroid cancer, and type of injury:-

* Papillary and / or mixed papillary / follicular ~ 78%
* Follicular and / or cell Hurthle ~ 17%
* Medullary ~ 4%
* Anaplastic ~ 1%
What is the diagnosis?.
Most thyroid cancers are very curable. In fact, the most common types of thyroid cancer (papillary and follicular) is the most healing. In younger patients, both papillary and follicular cancer has more than 97% cure rate if treated appropriately. All types of papillary and follicular cancer is usually treated with complete removal of lobe of the thyroid gland cancer and that ports, as well as to remove all or most of the other side.

The bottom line is that most of thyroid cancer and papillary thyroid cancer, and this is one of the most common types of cancer is curable of all cancers that you get to humans. Treated properly, the cure rate is very high.

Medullary thyroid cancer is significantly less common, but it has complications and dangerous. Bone cancer tend to spread large numbers of lymph nodes in the very early, and therefore require a more aggressive form of thyroid cancer more local, such as papillary and follicular. This requires complete removal of thyroid cancer in addition to dissection to remove lymph nodes from the front and sides of the neck.

The least common type of thyroid cancer is anaplastic which a very poor prognosis. Anaplastic thyroid cancer tends to be found after that and spread an incurable disease in most cases. It is very rare to stay anaplastic thyroid cancer, as in many cases the process can not remove all the tumor. These patients often require tracheostomy during the treatment period, treatment is more aggressive than other types of thyroid cancer - because this type of cancer is more aggressive.
What about chemotherapy?.
Thyroid cancer is unique among the types of cancer. In fact, cells of the thyroid gland is unique among all the cells of the human body. They are the only cells that have the ability to absorb iodine. Iodine is required for cells of the thyroid to produce thyroid hormone, so they are absorbed from the bloodstream, and focus on inside the cell.

Most thyroid cancer cells retain this capacity to absorb and concentrate iodine. This provides a perfect "chemotherapy" strategy. Radioactive iodine is given to the patient with thyroid cancer after the cancer was removed. If there is any normal thyroid cells or thyroid cancer cells remain in the patient's body (and any thyroid cancer cells and retain the ability to absorb iodine), and then these cells will absorb and concentrate on radioactive substances "toxic" iodine. Because all other cells of our bodies can not absorb the iodine-toxic, and they are safe. Thyroid cancer cells, however, will concentrate the poison within themselves and the radioactivity destroys the cell from the inside. Any disease. Any loss of hair. No nausea. No diarrhea. Any pain.

Most, but not all, patients suffering from thyroid cancer need radioactive iodine treatment after surgery. This is important to know. Almost all, however, must be iodine treatment if treatment is expected.

Patients suffering from bone cancer of the thyroid gland usually do not need to treat bone cancer almost never iodine uptake of radioactive iodine. Some small papillary cancers treated with total thyroidectomy may not need treatment, as well as iodine, but for a different reason.

These types of cancer (cancer of the bone and some small papillary cancers) and are often cured with a simple (complete) and surgical treatment alone. This varies from patient to patient, ranging from cancer to cancer. This decision could be made between the surgeon and patient, and endocrine glands in the signal or Internal Medicine. Remember, the radioactive iodine treatment is extremely safe. If you need it, and take it.
An overview of a typical treatment of thyroid cancer:-

1. Thyroid cancer is usually diagnosed stick a needle into a nodule or remove the thyroid gland of a thyroid nodule of concern by the wounds.
2. And nodule remove the thyroid gland is examined under a microscope by a pathologist, who will then decide whether the nodule is benign (95-99% of all nodules should be biopsied) or malignant (less than 1% of all nodules, about 1-5% of the nodules should be biopsied).
3. Forensic doctor decide the type of thyroid cancer: papillary, follicular, papilofollicuar mixed, medullary, or anaplastic.
4. All of the thyroid gland is surgically removed, and sometimes this is done through the same process where the biopsy takes place. It will be based in the lymph nodes in the neck to see if there is also a need to remove them. In the case of thyroid cancer, anaplastic, your doctor will help you make a decision on the possibility of opening the trachea.
5. About 4-6 weeks after the thyroid has been removed, the patient undergoing treatment with radioactive iodine. This is a very simple and consists of taking a pill in one dose that was calculated for the patient. The patient goes home and avoid contact with other people for two days (so as not to be subject to radioactive materials).
6. After a week or two of radioactive iodine to treat the patient starts taking a pill of thyroid hormone. No one can live without a thyroid hormone, and if the patient does not have a thyroid anymore, and he or she will take one tablet daily for the rest of their lives. This is a very common medicine (examples of the names of the drugs described include Synthroid], Levoxyl, and shield the thyroid gland).
7. Every 6-12 months due to his patient to endocrine blood tests to determine whether a daily dose of thyroid hormone is correct, and to ensure that the thyroid tumor will not return. The frequency of such follow-up tests will vary greatly from one patient to another. Endocrinology and are usually very good at this, and usually have some kind of doctor who follows the patient in the long term.