—— Thyroid cancer ——
Thyroid cancer is a malignant tumor that originates from thyroid epithelial cells and is a type of endocrine cancer.
Thyroid cancer is mainly divided into papillary adenocarcinoma and follicular adenocarcinoma, among which papillary adenocarcinoma is the most common, accounting for 80%-90% of thyroid cancer. In recent years, the incidence of thyroid cancer has increased significantly, becoming the seventh most common cancer in women and one of the fastest growing types of cancer in the world.
Thyroid cancer accounted for 1.6% of all new cancer cases in Malaysia in 2020.
Can thyroid cancer be cured?
The prognosis of thyroid cancer is relatively good, especially for differentiated thyroid cancer (such as papillary carcinoma and follicular carcinoma).
Early diagnosis and standardized treatment can enable most patients to achieve long-term survival or even cure. However, the prognosis of patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer and some advanced stage patients is poor and more difficult to treat.
Thyroid cancer stages and five-year survival rates:
Stage 1: The tumor is confined to the thyroid gland, with no lymph node or distant metastasis. After active and standardized treatment, the five-year survival rate reaches 95%;
In stage 2, the disease is more advanced than in stage 1 but can be controlled. The five-year survival rate is about 90%;
Stage 3: The tumor is enlarged and may invade surrounding tissues or have regional lymph node metastasis. The five-year survival rate is 70-80%;
In stage 4, the tumor has extensively invaded surrounding tissues or has metastasized to distant sites, and the five-year survival rate is less than 50%.
Emerging minimally invasive technologies can, to some extent, prolong survival and bring hope of recovery to thyroid cancer patients.
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—— Traditional treatment techniques for thyroid cancer ——
Traditional treatments for thyroid cancer
Surgery: Surgery is used to remove cancerous tissue and any lymph nodes in the neck that may have metastasized.
Radiation therapy: It can be used as a single treatment or combined with other treatments such as surgery or chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy: often used as palliative treatment for advanced cancer that is inoperable or has distant metastasis;
—— New technology for fighting thyroid cancer ——
What is transarterial embolization?
Transarterial embolization is a minimally invasive technique that "starves the tumor to death." Under the guidance of DSA (digital subtraction angiography), the physician inserts the catheter into the tumor-supplying artery through femoral artery puncture (only a 2mm incision) and injects embolic agents (such as drug-loaded microspheres and iodized oil) to block blood flow. The tumor necroses due to ischemia and hypoxia, while the surrounding normal tissues are almost intact. If combined with chemotherapy drugs (i.e. TACE), a double blow of "cutting off food supply + poisoning" can be achieved simultaneously, and the efficacy can be increased by 2-3 times. It is done under local anesthesia, leaving only tiny pinholes in the skin.
What is NK cell biological immunotherapy?
NK cells (natural killer cells) are the "vanguard" of the human immune system. They can quickly identify and destroy cancer cells and abnormal cells infected by viruses without having to "remember" the enemy in advance.
What is cryoablation?
Cryoablation is a minimally invasive technique that physically destroys tumors through "extremely low temperatures". Under the guidance of CT or ultrasound, the doctor accurately punctures a pen-thin ablation needle into the tumor and releases argon gas to instantly cool the tumor to -140℃~196℃. The extremely cold environment freezes cancer cells into ice crystals, and the cell structure completely collapses. Subsequently, the helium gas is quickly heated to 20°C~40°C, and the alternating hot and cold "temperature difference attack" further destroys the residual cancer cells without damaging the surrounding normal tissues.
What is iodine-125 seed implantation?
Iodine-125 seeds are a type of "mini-radiotherapist" that is only 4.5 mm in size and contains the radioactive isotope iodine-125. After accurately locating the tumor using imaging technology (such as CT), doctors use a fine needle to implant dozens to hundreds of iodine-125 particles into the tumor. These particles deliver low-dose radiation over a continuous period of time (about 6 months), directly destroying tumor cells while maximizing the protection of surrounding normal tissue.
In addition, we also have the following tumor elimination technologies:
Radiofrequency ablation, cytokine therapy, CAR-T cell therapy, microwave ablation, immune checkpoint inhibitor PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, monoclonal antibody therapy...
—— Enter the technology area to see which technology is more suitable for you
—— Thyroid cancer patient story ——
Suphama Songsi (Bangkok patient)
"Beauty and health are the two most important things in my life. The disease took away everything, but R&F Hospital gave them back to me..."
—— To find out how she recovered, read his story
—— Symptoms of thyroid cancer ——
Symptoms associated with thyroid cancer:
Thyroid lumps or enlargement
Throat discomfort or pressure
Sore throat
Difficulty swallowing
Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
Neck discomfort
Voice changes
Abnormal thyroid function
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——Diagnosis of thyroid cancer——
Accurate diagnosis of thyroid cancer is crucial and affects the development of subsequent treatment plans and the patient's prognosis. In order to ensure the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the diagnosis, a variety of methods are often used in clinical practice, as follows:
Physical examination
Thyroid ultrasound
Thyroid function test
Thyroid radionuclide scan
Fine needle aspiration of the thyroid gland
Serum marker test
Imaging examination
Thyroid cancer gene testing
—— For more cancer knowledge, please click on the online doctor for consultation
Use precise technology to create more possibilities for life.
The Cancer Center of Guangzhou R&F Hospital has opened an era of "chemotherapy-free survival" for cancer patients, winning a lasting victory for life. If you or your family are facing difficulties in cancer treatment, please contact the Guangzhou R&F Hospital Cancer Center. We offer multilingual medical history consultations, contact us today to get an assessment of your treatment eligibility.
Contact Us:
email: rfcancercenter@gmail.com |
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