Thyroid

Thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland with two lobes connected by an isthmus present over the front of the neck. It produces thyroid hormones which regulate the body’s metabolism.

Thyroid cancer:

Thyroid cancer is a disease affecting the thyroid gland. It can occur in any of the lobe or both lobes or isthmus.

Types of thyroid cancers:

The most common type of thyroid cancer is differentiated thyroid cancer which includes Papillary carcinoma and follicular carcinoma. Medullary and anaplastic thyroid cancers are less common but more aggressive.

Symptoms of thyroid cancer:

• Asymptomatic -Incidental nodule detected by routine scans done for other reasons is on the RISE
• Painless swelling in front of the neck
• Difficulty in eating and breathing, change in voice, enlargement of lymph nodes of neck.

Tests needed to diagnose thyroid cancer:

It is diagnosed by a simple needle test (FNAC) and Ultrasound (USG) neck. In some cases, CT scans or MRI scans are required to know the extent.

Treatment for thyroid cancer:

Thyroid cancers are mainly treated with surgery called Thyroidectomy. If the tumor is small, a lobe of thyroid which has cancer is removed called Partial (HEMI) Thyroidectomy.
But if the tumor is big, then we have to remove the whole gland called Total Thyroidectomy. Enlarged neck lymph glands are also removed if it is affected by disease. Radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy is given after the surgery to treat and prevent recurrence of the disease.

Is all enlargement of thyroid - cancerous?

No, only 5-10 % of thyroid nodules are malignant in the general population. It can be benign colloid nodules, Cysts, thyroiditis, multinodular goiter, adenomas, etc…

Is it possible to have cancer in thyroid with normal thyroid function tests (blood tests)?

"Thyroid cancer is about 3 times more common in women than in men. However it can be seen in both men and women. Most of the thyroid cases have a high treatment success rate if detected early. “Don’t ignore Thyroid enlargement”"