Your otolaryngologist will base your treatment plan on the type of thyroid cancer you have. The majority of thyroid cancers are slow to grow and metastasize, but there are some types that can be very aggressive. Your doctor will treat these differently. Your doctor will also consider your age, your health, the size and location of your tumor, and other factors.
In most cases, there are three elements to the treatment of a thyroid cancer:
- Surgical removal of the thyroid and involved lymph nodes
- Thyroid hormone replacement after surgery
- Radioactive iodine treatment
Learn more about targeted treatments for specific types of thyroid cancer.
Surgical Treatment
Surgery is the first and main treatment for most thyroid cancers. Your otolaryngologist may use one of the following methods:
- Total thyroidectomy. Removal of the whole thyroid or parathyroid glands.
- Near-total thyroidectomy. Removal of nearly all the gland.
- Subtotal thyroidectomy. Most of the gland is removed.
- Thyroid lobectomy. Removal of one lobe of the thyroid and the isthmus.
- Lymph node excision. Removal of nearby lymph nodes.
Your surgeon may also remove lymph nodes near the cancer if they have known cancer cells or look suspicious. This procedure is called either a central compartment neck dissection or a lateral neck dissection depending on the extent of lymph node removal.