Thyroid cancer: papillary, follicular, medullary and anaplastic thyroid cancer

Compared to other carcinomas, thyroid cancer occurs rarely, at around 3 per 100,000 inhabitants in Europe, but the incidence has been increasing in recent years.

The first signs are usually painless, rough thyroid enlargements. Difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, pain and shortness of breath can also occur later. Any suspicious tactile findings of the thyroid gland should be clarified by sonography and scintigraphy and possibly a biopsy of the thyroid gland should be taken.

If the diagnosis of thyroid cancer has been made, the treatment of choice is surgery. This involves removing the entire thyroid and lymph nodes from the neck. The operation is followed by radioiodine therapy after a complete iodine abstinence of at least 6 weeks. Any existing microscopic foci are treated by giving radioactive iodine.

The patient then receives a substitution with L-thyroxine.
Regular follow-up checks with thyroid values, tumor markers, thyroid sonography and possibly scintigraphy are mandatory and are specified according to international recommendations depending on the disease.