What is the treatment for thyroid cancer?

Treatment depends on the type of thyroid cancer.  Surgery is typically the treatment of choice.  The surgeon will remove the entire thyroid gland (thyroidectomy) and the surrounding lymph nodes (lymphectomy) depending on the type, size, and stage of the cancer.  Once the cancer is surgically removed then radioactive iodine treatment or chemotherapy can be used to eradicate any remaining cancer cells.  Papillary and follicular thyroid carcinomas respond extremely well to radioactive iodine treatment.   Radioactive iodine treatment is well tolerated by patients and has few side effects.  For the more aggressive thyroid cancers like medullary or anaplastic, chemotherapy is often used.

Click below for more specific details for the different types of cancers.

Papillary Carcinoma

Follicular Carcinoma

Medulary Carcinoma

Anaplastic Carcinoma