The Hidden Truth about Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: What Everyone Should Know!
Discover the Success Rate and the Role of Central Lymph Node Metastases
I bet you've heard of thyroid cancer. If you haven't, it's a type of cancer that happens in the thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland in our neck. The most common type is called Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma (PTC) and I often treat patients like these as a nuclear medicine specialist in Cardinal Santos Medical Center. Let's talk about what happens when this cancer spreads and how successful treatments can be!
1. What's So Special About PTC? PTC is more common in younger folks and sometimes spreads to nearby neck areas called lymph nodes early on. But the good news is, it rarely spreads to places like our lungs and bones!
2. How Do Doctors Treat PTC? Doctors often remove the thyroid gland and adjacent lymph nodes because cancer can potentially reside in these nodes. After the thyroidectomy, patients typically consult with nuclear medicine specialists like me for radioactive iodine-131 therapy. This procedure aims to eradicate any remaining cancerous tissues and is as simple as taking a pill. Following this, patients are prescribed L-Thyroxine, a medication that aids in maintaining normal body functions and inhibits cancer regrowth.
3. What Happens After Surgery? After surgery, doctors check patients with special scans and blood tests to make sure the cancer is all gone and doesn't come back.
4. How Successful Is This Treatment? Well, in a recent study1 of 102 patients with PTC:
Most patients were women under 45.
Most of them had the cancer spread to their lymph nodes.
But guess what? The disease only came back in 14 of these patients. That means for a vast majority, the treatment worked great!
5. When Might PTC Come Back? Based on the study, men and those who had cancer spread to central lymph nodes (but didn't get them removed) had a higher chance of the disease coming back.
6. What Does This All Mean? PTC can be a tricky cancer because it can hide in lymph nodes. But if doctors remove the thyroid and affected lymph nodes, patients have a good chance of beating this disease after radioactive iondine-131 therapy. Always remember, if you have any concerns about your health, it's essential to talk to your doctor. They're the best person to guide you!
Stay informed, stay healthy, and make a difference! Share this article with anyone you know battling thyroid cancer. Want a direct consultation? Click the button below for a telemedicine session with me. I serve as the Program Director for the Nuclear Medicine Training at Cardinal Santos Medical Center.
Maksimovic S, Jakovljevic B, Gojkovic Z. Lymph Node Metastases Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma and their Importance in Recurrence of Disease. Med Arch. 2018 Apr;72(2):108-111. https://doi.org/10.5455%2Fmedarh.2018.72.108-111