Thyroid cancer - papillary carcinoma

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Endocrine glands

Thyroid cancer - CT scan

Thyroid enlargement - scintiscan

Thyroid cancer - papillary carcinoma

Alternative Names:

Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid
Treatment:

There are threetypes of thyroid cancer treatment:

Surgery
Radioactive iodine
Medication

Surgery is done to remove as much of the cancer as possible. The bigger the lump, the more of the thyroid gland must be removed.Frequently, the entiregland is taken out.

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After the surgery, most (but not all) patients receive radioactive iodine, which is usually taken by mouth. This substance killsany remainingthyroid tissue. Italso helps make medical images more clear, so doctors can see if there is any additional cancer.

If surgery is not an option, external radiation therapy can be useful.

After surgery, the patient will need to take medication called levothyroxine sodium for the rest of their life. This replaces the hormone that they thyroid would normally make.

The patient will need a blood test every 3 to 6 months to check thyroid levels, and an imagingtest called a radioactive iodine (I-131) uptake scan once a year.

Expectations (prognosis):

The survival rate for papillary thyroid cancer is excellent.More than 95% of adults with such cancer survive 10 years. The prognosis is better for patients younger than 40 and for those with smaller tumors.

The following factors may decrease the survival rate:

Large tumor
Age over 40
Cancer has spread to soft tissue
Cancer has spread to distant parts of the body

Complications:

Complications include:

Accidental removal of the parathyroid gland, which helps regulate blood calcium levels
Damage to a nerve that controls the vocal cords
Spreading of cancer to lymph nodes (rare)
Spreading of cancer to other sites (metastasis)

Calling your health care provider:

Callyour health care provider if you have a lump in your neck.

References:

Larsen PR, Kronberg HM, Schlomo M, et al. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 10th ed. St. Louis, MO: WB Saunders; 2003:469-473.

Hemminki K. Familial risks for nonmedullary thyroid cancer. J Clin Endocrinol Metab.2005; 90(10): 5747-53.

Kumar V, Abbas AK, Fausto N. Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease. 7th ed. St. Louis, MO: WB Saunders; 2005:1177-1180.