Thyroid cancer | Diagnosis + Surgery

When you choose a hospital to treat thyroid cancer, pay attention to the following factors:

• Clinics’ recognition. International certificates and accreditations confirm hospital compliance with healthcare protocols worldwide. Among the most common certificates is JCI, a global accreditation in the field of healthcare.

• Doctors’ experience. Check a specialist’s CVs on our website to be sure the doctor has great experience in thyroid cancer treatment.

• Patients’ reviews. On this page, you will find patients’ reviews on a particular hospital. It will help to make the right decision.

• Submit a request on Bookimed and our manager will contact you shortly
• Together you will choose the most appropriate thyroid cancer center for your case
• Your medical records are sent to the chosen hospital
• You get an initial bill and treatment plan. If you approve it, Bookimed manager arranges your medical trip within several days.

You can contact Bookimed manager anytime you need — we provide 24/7 support till the moment you come home after treatment.

• A patient has to undergo a high-resolution ultrasound to examine lymph nodes and understand whether malignant cells have spread to other organs.
• A doctor carries out the diagnostics of the patient’s thyroid gland — a biopsy from the enlarged lymph nodes.
• A specialist tests what type of malignancy the patient’s got. The most widespread thyroid cancers are papillary and follicular carcinomas — about 80% of cases.
• A patient needs to undergo CT, PET/CT scanning to reveal the metastasis spread to other sites of the patient’s body.

• Age. Thyroid cancer can occur at any age. However, it is the most common among young people under 25.
• Gender. According to the statistics, such a disease is 2-3 times more common in women than in men. Unlike many other types of cancer, thyroid tumors are often found at a young age. For example, it is the most common type of cancer among women aged 20-35. Every 50th patient is a child or teenager.
• Iodine deficiency. A patient needs to keep a diet with a high level of iodine to prevent the disease.
• Predisposition to a disease. If a patient has a genetic hereditary or someone in the family had thyroid cancer, he/she can get this disease. To avoid it, undergo diagnostics to be sure you have nothing to be afraid of.

If you seek accurate diagnostics, just submit a request, and Bookimed manager will recommend you the best hospital for thyroid cancer treatment.

Surgery.

• Thyroidectomy. Doctors apply this method to remove the affected thyroid gland. Such surgeries can be open and endoscopic (minimally invasive). Depending on a cancer stage, a surgeon decides what type of operation is required.

• Lymph nodes removals. If cancer has spread to lymph nodes, a surgical oncologist removes them partially or totally to prevent the relapse.

Radioiodine therapy. A radiologist prescribes this option after surgery, for relapsed cancer or when it spreads to lymph nodes or throughout the body.

Hormone therapy. Specialists use hormonal drugs to maintain the patients’ hormones levels after thyroid cancer surgery.

Chemotherapy. Chemo drugs stop cancer cells division and growth. Medical oncologist can prescribe chemotherapy for metastatic thyroid cancer to reduce its symptoms.

External beam radiation. A doctor applies such a therapy to destroy cancer cells or stop their growth with X-ray beams. This kind of radiation therapy is assigned to patients with medullary and anaplastic thyroid cancer. This is used for metastatic or recurrent cancer. This option can be used alone or combined with chemo drugs.

Targeted therapy. Such a therapy is used when other treatments are ineffective. Targeted drugs destroy cancer genes and proteins with no damage to healthy cells. Side effects are less severe in comparison with chemo.

Only an oncologist can decide what treatment methods will be effective for you. That depends on the cancer stage and overall health condition.

Dr. Avi Hefetz is a leading oncologist at Assuta who specializes in thyroid tumors. The doctor treats all stages of thyroid cancer and performs subtotal thyroidectomy and thyroid resection. Dr. Hefetz carries out surgical interventions in cooperation with plastic and maxillofacial surgeons. The doctor had training at Memorial Hospital Sloan Center, New York, where he has been involved in the head and neck clinical trial program. Now Avi Hefetz MD is the Chief of the Head & Neck Oncology and Surgery Department.

Professor Martin Strik has over 20 years of experience in surgical oncology treatment including thyroid cancer. The professor has implemented innovative less traumatic and scarless methods for patients with thyroid cancer and other malignant diseases. Among his techniques are fast track surgery and surgeries on thyroid gland using neuromonitoring. Professor Martin Shtrik has developed a sparing technique for the surgical treatment of thyroid tumors using axillary bilateral-thoracic approach — Axillo Bilateral Breast Approach (abbreviated as ABBA).

Prof. Metin Chakmakchi (Metin Çakmakçı) is a leading surgical oncologist, the Head of the Surgical Oncology Department at Anadolu. The doctor has expertise in treating thyroid cancer at the latest stages. To avoid big scars and boost the recovery, Dr. Çakmakçıperforms minimally-invasive operations for patients with early thyroid cancer.

Want to get a consultation of a specialist? Submit a request on Bookimed and our manager will tell you how to schedule an appointment in the best thyroid cancer hospital.

According to the American Cancer Society, thyroid cancer is considered one of the most treatable cancer. 90% is a survival rate for such a disease.