Survival rates in well differentiated thyroid cancer is much better than any other cancer
Chennai, 25th May 2016 : Thyroid cancer is the most common cancer of the endocrine system and occurs in all age groups. In India the number of new cases of thyroid cancer is 13.9 per 100,000 men and women per year. Among both men and women, the number of new cases of thyroid cancer is increasing at a faster rate than any other type of cancer.
The Madras Metropoliton Tumor Registry (MMTR) Chennai has also recorded an increasing incidence in thyroid cancers over the last 25 years, the increase can be partly attributed to increasing use of neck imaging (Ultrasound/CT scans/PET-CT scans) resulting in early detection and thereby treatment of smaller thyroid cancers.
Thyroid cancers are a diverse group of malignancies ranging from indolent micropapillary carcinomas which has little effect on life expectancy to highly lethal anaplastic carcinomas which are invariably fatal. Papillary and follicular cancers often referred to as “well-differentiated” thyroid cancers (WDTC), are the most common types of thyroid cancer. Together, they account for about 90% of thyroid cancers.
According to Dr. Shelley Simon Senior Consultant, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Apollo Hospital“I see almost 400 plus patients a year who suffer from this disease. Out of these 80 per cent of the patients fall in the low risk category. That means that with the right treatment and regular follow ups these patients can live a good quality of life.”
The typical presentation of a thyroid cancer is in the form of a painless thyroid nodule. The other symptoms of thyroid cancers, which are invariably suggestive of advanced disease, include pain in the lower front part of the neck, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, hoarseness of voice, and/or trouble in breathing and swallowing. Physical examination, blood tests, thyroid ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration biopsies are usually done to detect thyroid cancer in a patient.
The primary management for most patients with thyroid cancer is surgical removal of the entire thyroid gland (Total thyroidectomy). Following surgery, the patients are required to undergo radioactive iodine scans and radioactive ablative procedures when indicated. To have a successful outcome of this procedure all patients are required to have high levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH or thyrotropin) in the blood which can be given through either by withdrawing thyroid hormone therapy or recombinant thyroid stimulating hormone injections. Withdrawal of Thyroid hormones can lead to moderate to severe hypothyroidism which may impact the quality of life while the injections to raise TSH levels may be costly but helps patients to remain on normal life style. Subsequently, the patients take thyroid replacement hormone medicine throughout their lives.
“As with all cancers, timely detection and appropriate treatment are the prerequisites for a better outcome“ says Dr. Arvind Krishnamurthy, Professor, Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute, Adyar, Chennai. He further goes on to state that “a successful treatment plan involves adopting a collaborative approach and combining the expertise of head and neck surgeons, endocrinologists and a nuclear physician. Most of the thyroid cancers are treatable with surgery and other associated treatment options. Total thyroidectomy is a safe procedure in skilled hands; the morbidity created by a poorly performed thyroid gland operation can exceed the morbidity caused by leaving some thyroid lesions alone. Patients with well differentiated thyroid cancers in general have a favorable prognosis compared with that of patients with many other solid tumors”
“On World Thyroid day, I would like to request everyone that if you feel a lump in your throat or a swelling do visit a doctor. Most people would rather wait than act, in this case specifically the sooner you act the sooner you get treated. There is also a need amongst doctors to counsel the patients after surgery and tell them the importance of regular follow ups.” says Dr. Simon
