Complete, Personalized Thyroid Cancer Care
Thyroid cancer affects your thyroid, a small gland below your Adam’s apple on your neck. Your thyroid produces hormones that control your temperature, metabolism and heart rate. Most types of thyroid cancer are very treatable.
When you need care, you want a team you can trust. As a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center, we offer the latest treatments — including innovative therapies and promising new approaches you can only find in a clinical trial. Our team of doctors, nurses, therapists, cancer educators and other specialists offers complete care and support every step of the way.
What Types of Tumors Does a Head and Neck Surgeon Treat?
What Are Thyroid Cancer Symptoms?
Most thyroid cancers don’t have symptoms until the cancer begins to grow, these symptoms include:
- Difficulty swallowing
- Neck and throat pain
- Swollen lymph nodes in your neck
- Thyroid nodule (lump in your neck)
- Voice changes or hoarseness
Are There Different Types of Thyroid Cancer?
There are different kinds of thyroid cancer, based on the types of cancer cells. Most grow slowly, and the majority of thyroid cancers are treatable. Doctors need to know the thyroid cancer type to develop a treatment that gives you the best results.
Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common type of thyroid cancer and usually responds well to treatment. Other thyroid cancers are rare — such as anaplastic thyroid cancer (a fast-growing cancer that affects people over 60) and medullary thyroid cancer (can be caused by a genetic mutation that runs in families).
Thyroid cancer can metastasize or spread to other areas of the body, but most thyroid cancers don’t.
Thyroid Cancer Treatment
Small papillary thyroid cancers may not need treatment, because they often don’t grow or spread. Your doctor may recommend regular exams to make sure it hasn’t grown.
Most people with thyroid cancer who require treatment need surgery to remove part or all of the thyroid gland. The surgeon may also remove nearby lymph nodes, if it’s spread.
Treatment may also include:
- Alcohol ablation (injected alcohol) to shrink small areas of cancer
- Hormone therapy medicine to replace, supplement or suppress hormones normally produced by your thyroid
- Radioactive iodine medicine to destroy cancer cells after surgery
Aggressive thyroid cancers, such as anaplastic thyroid cancer, may need additional approaches like radiation therapy or chemotherapy (cancer-fighting medicines).
During your appointment, we will explain all your options to help you decide what’s right for you.
Trusted Thyroid Cancer Treatment
With more than 48 years as an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, we’re at the forefront of cancer prevention, detection and treatment.
We’re consistently ranked as a leading cancer hospital by U.S. News & World Report.
You get all the care you need from a single source — preventive care, diagnostic testing, treatment and survivorship care.
We keep you well-informed throughout diagnosis, treatment and recovery, offering assistance and support to ensure the best experience possible.