Thyroid and Parathyroid Cancer

The Thyroid Gland is a small, butterfly-shaped gland. The location of the gland is at the base of the neck just below the Adam’s apple. It’s part of an intricate network of glands called the endocrine system. The endocrine system secretes thyroid hormones. This is also responsible for coordinating many of our body’s activities. It regulates our body metabolism and protein synthesis. 

Disorders

As a matter of fact, several different disorders can arise when our thyroid produces too much hormone (hyperthyroidism) or not enough (hypothyroidism). Moreover, several diseases both malignant and non-malignant can affect the thyroid gland. Similarly, four common non -malignant disorders of thyroid are Hashimoto’s disease, Graves’ disease, goiter, and thyroid nodules.

Types of thyroid malignancy 

In fact, there are 4 main types of thyroid malignancy (cancerous).

1. Papillary and/or mixed papillary/follicular thyroid cancer (85%).
2. Follicular and/or Hurthle cell thyroid cancer ( 10%)
3. Medullary thyroid cancer ( 3%).
4. Anaplastic thyroid cancer (1%).

Common types of thyroid cancer

As a matter of fact, the most common types of thyroid cancer (papillary and follicular thyroid cancer) are the most curable. In fact, in younger patients, less than 50 years of age, both papillary and follicular cancers have a more than 98% cure rate if treatment is  appropriate. Consequently, treatment of both papillary and follicular Thyroid & Parathyroid Tumours typically involves  complete removal of the lobe of the thyroid gland that harbors cancer.

Surgery of thyroid gland

Clear indication for complete removal of the thyroid gland surgically: 

1. If thyroid gland that has a thyroid cancer nodule within it and has multiple other nodules in both sides of the thyroid 

2. When cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the neck. 

Finally, during surgery of thyroid gland is that care should be taken to preserve nerves giving function to voice box (recurrent laryngeal nerve) and preserving parathyroid glands.