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TREATMENT THURSDAY 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝘆𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 If you’re diagnosed with thyroid cancer, you’ll be assigned a care team, who will devise a treatment plan for you. Your recommended treatment plan will depend on the type and grade of your cancer, and whether your care team thinks that a complete cure is realistically achievable. 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 All NHS hospitals have multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) that treat thyroid cancer. An MDT is made up of a number of different specialists, and may include: - a surgeon - an endocrinologist (a specialist in treating hormonal conditions) - an oncologist (a cancer treatment specialist) - a pathologist (a specialist in diseased tissue) - a radiotherapist or clinical oncologist (a specialist in non-surgical methods of treating cancer, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy) - a specialist cancer nurse, who will usually be your first point of contact with the rest of the team Deciding on the best course of treatment can be difficult. Your cancer team will make recommendations after reviewing your case, but the final decision will be yours. Before you go to hospital to discuss your treatment options, you may want to write a list of questions to ask the specialist. For example, you may want to find out what the advantages and disadvantages of particular treatments are. 𝗧𝗵𝘆𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘆 In almost all cases of thyroid cancer it’s necessary to either remove some of your thyroid gland in a procedure called a hemithyroidectomy, or all of your thyroid gland (total thyroidectomy). This decision will be influenced by: - the type of thyroid cancer you have - the size of the tumour - whether or not the cancer has spread beyond your thyroid gland Your surgeon should discuss with you the type of surgery required and why so you can make an informed decision. A thyroidectomy is carried out under a general anaesthetic and usually takes around 2 hours. The operation will leave a small scar on your neck, which shouldn’t be very noticeable. In a small number of cases, it may cause permanent hoarseness. #treatmentthursday #education #medicalconditions

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