1. What is important to know about thyroid cancer treatment?

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• The disease responds well to treatment. According to the statistics of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 98-99% of patients with the initial stages of the disease and 56% with the late ones survive the milestone of 5 years. Therefore, it is important to start treatment immediately for thyroid cancer.

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• The main methods of treatment are surgery and radioiodine therapy. Chemotherapy, targeted and external beam therapy are prescribed by doctors only in the later stages, with severe forms of the disease and relapses.

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2. Where to treat thyroid cancer: choosing a clinic and making an appointment for a consultation

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1. Choosing a clinic for the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer

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Leave a request on our website and the coordinating doctor will contact you. He will help with the selection of a medical center  and will guide you on prices.

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2. Obtaining an individual treatment program and organizing a consultation at the medical center

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Send the available test results to the coordinating physician. He will send them to the hospital of your choice and receive a preliminary diagnostic and treatment program based on your medical records.

The average response time from the hospital is up to 5 working days (this is the workload of the medical center).

If the program and cost suit you, the coordinating doctor will arrange a consultation at the clinic.

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3. Tickets and accommodation

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If necessary, Medikal & Estetik Group helps with booking tickets and accommodation.

Find out more about this with the coordinating physician.

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4. Interpreter and transfer airport - clinic - airport

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Medical centers provide transfers and translators. Whether these services are included in the cost of treatment, check with the coordinating physician of Medikal & Estetik Group.

5. Payment for treatment

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You pay for the completed procedures to the cashier of the medical center. Medikal & Estetik Group services patients do not pay.

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6. Is it possible to consult a Turkish doctor remotely?

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Yes, you can get a second opinion. Find out more about this  here .

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3. What does the diagnosis of the disease include?

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• Physical examination and health history  : Examining the body to check for general signs of health, including checking for signs of illness, such as bumps (nodules) or swelling in the neck, voice box, and lymph nodes, and anything else that seems unusual. ... There will also be a history of the patient's health habits, as well as past illnesses and treatments.

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• Laryngoscopy  : A procedure in which a doctor checks the larynx (voice box) using a speculum or laryngoscope. A laryngoscope is a thin, tube-shaped instrument with an illumination and a viewing lens. A tumor in the thyroid gland can press on the vocal cords. A laryngoscopy is done to see if the vocal cords are moving normally.

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• Blood hormone research  : A procedure in which a blood sample is tested to measure the amount of certain hormones released into the blood by organs and tissues of the body. An unusual (more or less than usual) amount of a substance may be a sign of illness in the organ or tissue that produces it. The blood can be tested for abnormal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. TSH is produced by the pituitary gland in the brain. It stimulates the production of thyroid hormone and controls the growth rate of thyroid follicular cells. Blood can also be tested for high levels of the hormone calcitonin and antithyroid antibodies.

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• Studies of the chemical composition of blood  : A procedure in which a blood sample is tested to measure the amount of certain substances, such as calcium, released into the blood by organs and tissues of the body. An unusual (more or less than usual) amount of a substance may be a sign of illness.

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• Ultrasound examination: A procedure in which high energy sound waves (ultrasound) are reflected off the internal tissues or organs of the neck and create an echo. The echo forms a picture of body tissue called a sonogram. The picture can be printed to view later. This procedure can show the size of the thyroid nodule and determine if the cyst is solid or fluid-filled. Ultrasound can be used to perform fine needle aspiration biopsy.

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• CT scan   : A procedure in which a series of detailed pictures of the interior of the body, such as the neck, are taken from different angles. The pictures were taken by a computer connected to an X-ray machine. The dye can be injected into a vein or swallowed to make organs and tissues more visible. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computed tomography, or computed axial tomography.

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• Fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid gland  : Removal of thyroid tissue with a fine needle. The needle is inserted through the skin into the thyroid gland. Several tissue samples are taken from different parts of the thyroid gland. A pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope for cancer cells. Because thyroid cancer is difficult to diagnose, patients should ask for biopsy samples to be checked by a pathologist experienced in diagnosing thyroid cancer.

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• Surgical biopsy  : Removing a thyroid nodule or one lobe of the thyroid gland during surgery so the pathologist can examine cells and tissues under a microscope to check for signs of cancer. Because thyroid cancer is difficult to diagnose, patients should ask for biopsy samples to be checked by a pathologist experienced in diagnosing thyroid cancer.

4. Methods of treatment for thyroid cancer

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1. Operation (thyroidectomy)

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For thyroid cancer, doctors perform a thyroidectomy - removal of most or all of the organ.

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If the pathology has spread to the lymph nodes, the doctor excises them along with the gland.

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Doctors perform the removal of the tumor by the following methods:

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• open - through an incision up to 8 cm in the neck;

• endoscopic - through an incision up to 2 cm;

• robotic - through a 2 cm incision in the armpit using the Da Vinci robotic surgeon;

• without incisions in the neck - through the mouth or armpit.

2. Radioiodine therapy

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Doctors treat thyroid cancer with radioactive iodine after surgery. The substance acts on the remaining abnormal cells and prevents relapse.

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The patient takes an oral radioiodine capsule. After the procedure, he emits radiation that can harm others, so the patient is hospitalized in an individual ward for 3-7 days.

3. Hormone therapy

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Doctors prescribe medications to:

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• maintain the required level of hormones after removal of the gland;

• stop the spread of the remaining malignant cells.

4. External beam therapy

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The procedure is indicated for the postoperative treatment of medullary and anaplastic thyroid cancer. Doctors act on a tumor using an apparatus that delivers a radiation beam to the neoplasm with millimeter precision and practically does not harm healthy tissues.

5. Chemotherapy

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Chemotherapy is prescribed by oncologists for anaplastic cancer and the ineffectiveness of previous treatment for other forms of the disease.

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Patients take chemotherapy drugs orally or through a drip.

6. Targeted therapy

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The technique stops the division of malignant cells. Doctors resort to it if a laboratory study of a tumor has revealed a genetic mutation in it.

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Targeted therapy is indicated for patients with medullary, anaplastic thyroid cancer. It is also prescribed for follicular and papillary cancers if previous treatment has not worked.

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7. Immunotherapy

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A type of therapy that uses substances to stimulate or suppress the immune system to help the body fight cancer, infections, and other diseases. Some types of immunotherapy target only certain cells of the immune system. Others affect the immune system as a whole. Types of immunotherapy include cytokines, vaccines, bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), and some monoclonal antibodies.

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5. How long does thyroid cancer treatment take?

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1. Surgery for thyroid cancer takes 2-4 hours

2. Postoperative hospitalization - 2-7 days.

3. Doctors prescribe radioiodine therapy 4-6 weeks after the intervention.

4. The patient takes the substance and remains in the hospital for 3-7 days.

5. After 2-4 months, he undergoes an ultrasound scan. If necessary, doctors prescribe the procedure again.

6. The approximate duration of external beam radiation therapy is 3 weeks.

6. How is recovery from thyroid cancer treatment going?

1. Possible side effects

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Temporary hoarseness and loss of voice may occur after surgery.

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Treatment of thyroid cancer with radioactive iodine can provoke:

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• dry eyes and mouth;

• painful sensitivity, swelling of the neck and salivary glands;

• nausea and vomiting;

• failure of taste perception;

• violation of the menstrual cycle in women;

• decreased sperm motility in men.

2. Rehabilitation

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After removing most of the gland or the entire organ, the patient needs to take medications throughout his life that maintain the necessary level of hormones.

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After radioiodine therapy, doctors recommend periodically chewing lemon and chewing gum for 2 days. This will increase salivation and reduce the effects of radiation on the salivary glands.