Q: Which doctor should I consult for papillary thyroid cancer?
A: Papillary thyroid cancer is treated by an oncologist in association with an endocrinologist.
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Q: Does the patient require follow up after treatment for thyroid cancer?
A: Follow-up is needed following surgery or radioiodine treatment for papillary thyroid cancer to check for cancer recurrence or spread. Long-term monitoring is also important to make sure that your dose of thyroid hormone replacement is appropriate— it should be neither too low nor too high for your specific needs.
Q: What is the prognosis of stage IV papillary thyroid cancer?
A: Survival statistics published in the 7th edition of the AJCC (The American Joint Committee on Cancer) Cancer Staging Manual show that there are 51% chances of survival in stage IV of papillary carcinoma.
Q: What are the types of thyroid cancer?
A: There are three main types of thyroid cancer:
- Differentiated (including papillary, follicular and Hurthle cell) Medullary
- Anaplastic (an aggressive undifferentiated tumor)
- Papillary carcinoma is the most common type of thyroid cancer which tends to grow very slowly and usually develop in only one lobe of the thyroid gland. It is generally treatable with a good prognosis and is rarely fatal.
- Follicular carcinoma: It is found more frequently in countries where people consume a low iodine diet. It occurs in 1 out of every 10 cases of thyroid cancer and generally associated with a good prognosis, although it is somewhat more aggressive than papillary cancer.
- Hurthle cell carcinoma, also called as oxyphil cell carcinoma, makes up for approximately 3 percent of all thyroid cancers.
III. Anaplastic carcinoma is the most undifferentiated type of thyroid cancer, making about 2% of all thyroid cancers. It is a very aggressive form of cancer that quickly spreads to other parts of the neck and body.
