How to Treat Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer is a type of cancer that appears in the thyroid gland of the body, the gland that regulates a person's metabolism. If you have received a diagnosis of thyroid cancer, then you should know that the prognosis is often good. Thyroid cancer has a high rate of success for responding to treatment.

Instructions

1. Speak to an oncologist about treatment options. An oncologist is a cancer specialist that can assist you in making the right choices regarding your treatment for thyroid cancer.

2. Find out about surgery. The most common treatment method for thyroid cancer is to surgically remove most of the thyroid from the person's body. This operation, called a thyroidectomy, removes all affected areas of the thyroid.

3. Undergo thyroid replacement therapy. Since most of the thyroid is removed during the surgery, you must take medications to replace the hormones that are no longer produced.

4. Get regular blood work done. Your doctor may want to periodically monitor your TSH levels in your body to see if you are responding to hormone replacement therapy.

5. Talk to your physician about radiation and chemotherapy. You may need these therapies in order to remove any additional cancer that may be found in your body.

6. Take care of yourself during treatment. Maintain a healthy diet and get enough rest while undergoing treatments for thyroid cancer.

Tips & Warnings

• If the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, then you also have to have them removed during your thyroidectomy.

• If you remain cancer free for more than 5 years after your initial diagnosis, the recurrence rate of thyroid cancer is low.