What are the common treatments for Thyroid Cancer?

The thyroid is a small gland that is present in the throat and is small and butterfly-shaped. This gland is crucial in thyroxine production, which optimizes the body’s metabolism. Just like any other organ of the body, the thyroid is cancer-prone. Due to various reasons and carcinogens, thyroid cancer is something that oncologists are well aware of. On a positive note, thyroid cancer is treatable and can be managed and handled if diagnosed early. There are various ways thyroid cancer can be treated, depending on the stage of cancer, the growth, and the type of thyroid cancer someone has. Some of the most common thyroid cancer treatments are listed below.

Thyroidectomy

Depending on the tumor’s growth and thyroid cancer stage, thyroid removal is one of the treatment procedures. The thyroidectomy is the process in which the entire thyroid gland is removed surgically. In some cases, only half of the thyroid gland is removed, called a lobectomy. Also, the lymph nodes around the thyroid gland are removed, keeping in mind the tumor and cancerous cells’ spread.

RAI ablation

Radioactive iodine ablation is a process in which the excess cancerous cells and the parts of tumors spread to nearby tissue are removed. Any thyroid cell that is still there after a thyroidectomy is removed through the ablation. In this procedure, the iodine is absorbed by the thyroid and cancer cells, then removed through radiotherapy. 

Thyroid hormone therapy

This therapy is usually accompanied by thyroidectomy and RAI ablation. In this therapy, the person is given thyroid hormone pills. These pills are meant to stop the action of TSH, which is a thyroid-stimulating hormone released by the pituitary gland. TSH is meant to stimulate thyroid production by thyroid cells, but this thyroid production can also lead to cancer cells’ growth. Therefore, this thyroid hormone therapy is useful in restricting the TSH and further restricting cancer cells’ growth.

Other treatments

Usually, surgical removal of the thyroid gland is done in the advanced stages of cancer, where the entire gland is removed due to cancerous growth. But in the case of early stages, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy are used. In chemotherapy, medicines are given to stop cancer growth. In radiation therapy, x-ray radiations are used to target cancer cells. For thyroid cancer treatments, Lenvakast 4 mg is also used as oral medicine.