Thyroid Cancer

Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck. Using the essential nutrient iodine, your thyroid produces hormones that regulate every aspect of your metabolism - from your heart rate to how quickly you burn calories

About Thyroid Cancer

Worldwide, thyroid cancer affects 123,000 people a year and this number is expected to rise.^1,2 Women are affected by this disease more often than men. Thyroid cancers are often diagnosed after nodules are found by the patient or during a routine exam. It is usually diagnosed between ages of 30 and 50.³ Fortunately, when caught early, most common thyroid cancers responds well to treatment.³ There are several types of thyroid cancer. Papillary carcinoma and follicular carcinoma are the most common. Only a small fraction (less than 5%) of thyroid nodules are cancerous.³

Causes of Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer is linked to several risk factors but the exact cause of most thyroid cancers is unknown. Different cancers have different risk factors that increase your chances of getting the disease. Keep in mind many people with one or more risk factors may never develop thyroid cancer, but others with this disease have no known risk factors at all. Risk factors may include:

• Gender, Age & Race^4,3,5
• Low Iodine Diet³
• Radiation³
• Family History^4,6

Symptoms of Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer symptoms may include:³

• Lump in the neck
• Pain in the neck that may extend to the ears
• Hoarseness
• Trouble swallowing
• Breathing problems
• Persistent and unexplained cough

These symptoms are not sure signs of thyroid cancer. However, anyone with these signs or symptoms should see a doctor to be diagnosed and treated for any condition or disease they may have as early as possible.

Screening & Testing of Thyroid Cancer

Screening means testing for cancer before you have any symptoms. A screening test can often help find cancer at an early stage. Many cases of thyroid cancer can be found early. In fact, most thyroid cancers are now found much earlier than in the past using physical exams, ultrasound and/or genetic testing.⁷

Stages of Thyroid Cancer

Staging is the process of finding out how far a cancer has spread. The outlook (prognosis) and treatment for people with cancer depends, to a large extent, on the cancer's stage. Staging is based on information about how the cancer develops, grows and spreads.⁸ Staging information is based on the results of the physical exam, endoscopy, and imaging tests (CT scan, MRI, chest x-ray, and/or PET scans).

Treatment Options of Thyroid Cancer

Your doctor will discuss thyroid cancer treatment options with you in detail. Generally, treatments include:¹

• Surgery
• Radioactive iodine treatment
• Thyroid hormone therapy
• External beam radiation
• Chemotherapy

Treatment plans often use two or more of the above options, but surgery is the main treatment for all thyroid cancers.¹ If you have a cancerous or potentially cancerous lesion, your doctor will most likely perform a thyroidectomy – removal of the thyroid. The size and location of the nodule will determine whether a total thyroidectomy or a thyroid lobectomy - removal of only part of the thyroid - is the best surgical choice. ³

da Vinci® Thyroidectomy

If your doctor recommends surgery to treat thyroid cancer, you may be a candidate for a safe, effective and minimally invasive procedure – da Vinci Surgery. Using the most advanced technology available, the da Vinci System enables your doctor to perform this delicate operation with breakthrough precision. superior vision, dexterity and improved access to the affected area. As a result, the visible scarring associated with open surgery is avoided. da Vinci Surgery offers thyroid cancer patients numerous potential benefits over traditional open surgery, including:

• Superior cosmetic outcomes^9,10
• No neck scars^9,10
• Avoids laryngeal nerve injury⁸

As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed, as surgery is patient – and procedure-specific.