Thyroid Cancer

How is thyroid cancer diagnosed?

Physicians used a variety of diagnostic tests and procedures to detect thyroid cancer, including:

• Physical examination. Your doctor may examine your neck to feel for lumps or nodules. They may also ask about your family history and past exposure to radiation.
• Genetic testing. Depending on your family history, your doctor may recommend genetic testing to detect genes associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer.
• Blood test. Specialists can analyze the hormones in your blood to determine whether your thyroid is functioning properly.
• Ultrasound. This imaging technique uses sound waves to create an image of your thyroid so your doctor can examine nodules and whether they may be cancerous.
• Biopsy. Your doctor may use ultrasound imaging to guide a long, thin needle into the thyroid to take a sample of tissue. This sample is then examined for the presence of cancer cells.
• CT, MRI, and nuclear imaging. Your doctor may use an imaging test with a radioactive form of iodine to help determine whether the cancer has spread.

How is thyroid cancer treated?

Thyroid cancer is curable with treatment. Your doctor will recommend treatment options based on your cancer type and stage. Our team offers the following therapies, among others.

• Endocrine surgery. Procedures include thyroidectomy (removal of all or a portion of the thyroid gland), thyroid lobectomy (removal of half of the thyroid), and lymph node dissection (removal of the lymph nodes in your neck).
• Thyroid hormone therapy. After removal of your thyroid, your doctor may prescribe the hormone replacement levothyroxine.
• Radioactive iodine. This treatment is used after thyroidectomy to destroy any remaining thyroid tissue and cancer cells. It may also be used for thyroid cancer recurrence or if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
• External beam radiation therapy. Specialists can use technology to send high-energy beams into specific areas of the body to destroy cancer cells.
• Chemotherapy. Your doctor may recommend chemotherapy based on your type of thyroid cancer. It involves an infusion of chemicals through a vein to kill cancer cells.
• Targeted drug treatment. For thyroid cancer in advanced stages, our team can target abnormalities in cancer cells to prevent them from growing and dividing.
• Alcohol ablation. This procedure involves injecting alcohol into small thyroid cancers to shrink them.

Request a consultation with the Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge to learn more about your surgical treatment options.