Papillary thyroid cancer occurs in seventy percent of cases of oncological diseases of the endocrine system. Such cancer often metastasizes, however, it is characterized by a fairly good survival rate if it is detected on time. Why does this pathology develop, what are its symptoms? How is this disease treated? And what's the prognosis? All this will be discussed in this article.
Features of the disease
Papillary thyroid cancer is formed from the cells of the organ. This is a tight single knot. Its size can reach five centimeters or more, and the structure, in turn, is papillary. This type of cancer is relatively peaceful as it grows slowly and is treatable. Affects papillary cancer only neighboring tissues with lymph nodes. Distant metastasesare extremely rare, in most situations they affect the lungs.
At risk are usually patients from thirty to fifty years, although there are cases of this disease in children. Women are twice as likely to suffer from this type of cancer as men.
Prognosis after surgery for papillary thyroid cancer will be discussed at the end of the article.
Main reasons
The causes of thyroid cancer are not exactly known, but oncology identifies some factors that can affect the occurrence of such a tumor:
- The impact on the human body of radiation and all kinds of radiation along with chemical carcinogens.
- The presence of bad habits in the form of smoking and alcoholism, which significantly reduce immunity, weakening the defense of the whole organism as a whole.
- Hereditary factor. For example, in the event that a gene that provokes the appearance of thyroid cancer is inherited by a person, then the possibility of getting sick with it is one hundred percent.
- Deficiency in the body of iodine.
- The presence of diseases of the organs responsible for the production of hormones. For example, pathologies of the ovaries, mammary gland or the thyroid gland itself, all kinds of inflammatory processes in the body.
- Presence of hormonal changes in the form of menopause, pregnancy and so on.
- The body's susceptibility to depression.
At risk are especially the elderly and those who have undergone radiation therapy. A malignant tumor of this organ can develop fromgood quality education. Papillary thyroid cancer can also be caused by metastases from other organs.
Symptomatics
The curability of a disease depends on its stage and the size of the formation. Therefore, it is extremely important to identify this pathology in a timely manner. To do this, you need to know the main signs of the development of papillary cancer:
- Presence of a knot in the neck that can be felt. This is one of the main symptoms. Sometimes the node is visible visually. Over time, it increases and becomes more noticeable.
- A noticeable increase in cervical lymph nodes. This is also an early sign but is often overlooked.
- The appearance of discomfort during swallowing or breathing movements. At the same time, a certain lump is felt in the throat.
- Presence of pain, hoarseness and unexplained coughing.
The last signs may appear when the knot reaches a large size and begins to compress the esophagus. A person's voice can even change because of this. At the last stage, the general condition of the patient worsens significantly, he may lose his appetite and lose weight dramatically. You may also have a fever with weakness and fatigue.
Basically, the symptoms of papillary thyroid cancer in the initial stages are almost absent. This is the greatest danger, so you should always be careful and undergo regular examinations.
Often, benign tumors are found in adults, and cancer is diagnosed in only 5% of cases. But if a person notices a knot on his neck, thenhe needs to see a specialist. This is especially true for children, since they cannot have a good education.
Stages of pathology
There are four stages of papillary thyroid cancer:
- At the first stage, the tumor is small, up to two centimeters. It does not have metastases and does not fall outside the thyroid capsule. In the first stage, this cancer responds well to treatment, although it is difficult to detect it so early.
- At the second stage, the node increases to four centimeters, but does not yet go beyond the organ. At this stage, it is often detected by palpation, and the patient at this time begins to experience a feeling of discomfort in the throat. There are no metastases yet. This grade of papillary thyroid cancer is successfully treated in ninety-five percent of cases.
- In the third stage, the size of the tumor is more than four centimeters. It goes beyond the thyroid gland and begins to put pressure on neighboring organs. The patient's condition worsens, new symptoms appear in the form of shortness of breath, pain, shortness of breath and hoarseness. This stage is also characterized by an increase in lymph nodes and the presence of bilateral metastases.
- At the fourth stage, the tumor is large, due to which the thyroid gland is deformed, which becomes immobile. The presence of metastases in nearby tissues is noted, they also spread to other organs. Patients develop new symptoms, which depend on which organ is affected.
Prognosis after surgery for papillary thyroid cancer is of interest to many.
Treatment, surgery and substitution therapy
Once a diagnosis has been made, treatment must begin immediately. Almost always, therapy involves surgery to remove the tumor. The advantage is given to total thyroidectomy, in which the thyroid gland is completely removed. Nearby tissues with lymph nodes can also be removed if they are affected. Such measures are required to prevent recurrence of the disease.
In the event that the size of the tumor is small, up to one centimeter, then an incomplete thyroidectomy can be performed. During such an operation, only the affected lobes of the gland with the isthmus are removed. This method is considered less traumatic, but it is also dangerous because some cells may still remain. The operation to remove papillary thyroid cancer is carried out from one to three hours. The rehabilitation period is usually short and is only three days. Reviews of papillary thyroid cancer confirm this.
After a total thyroidectomy, patients need replacement therapy, as the body requires thyroid hormones. Such therapy involves the use of synthetic or animal hormones. After an incomplete thyroidectomy, replacement therapy may also be required, but the dosage of the drugs will be much less. To accurately determine it, doctors constantly analyze the level of hormones.
A person who has undergone surgery needs constant monitoring. Six weeks later, a radioactive iodine scan should be performed, which reflects the presence of residual metastases. Six months later, the patient is tested for tumor markers, and his hormone levels are also examined. Such examinations are required to be carried out regularly every six months. Three years after the operation, an additional full body scan is done. All of these procedures are aimed at finding cancer that may come back. The prognosis after the operation is usually good, such people can return to their previous jobs, and women have the opportunity to have a baby.
Treatment after surgery
Treatment after surgery for follicular-papillary thyroid cancer is carried out two months after surgery, using radioactive iodine. This method is used in cases where the tumor was large and was accompanied by the presence of metastases in the surrounding tissues and lymph nodes. Therapy with radioactive iodine is needed to completely eliminate the remaining pathological cells.
Complications and relapses
Thyrectomy patients are at risk of developing the following complications:
- During surgery, the surgeon can damage the laryngeal nerves that are responsible for the operation of the ligaments, which will result in a change in voice and hoarseness. Most often this is temporary, but sometimes the voice can change for the rest of your life.
- Sloppyactions on the part of the surgeon can have a negative effect on the parathyroid glands, which are very close.
- There is a risk of hypoparathyroidism, however, this condition is corrected after treatment with calcium supplements.
- The appearance of bleeding and swelling. This phenomenon can also be eliminated with the help of medications.
Disability due to papillary thyroid cancer occurs only in cases of significant damage to the recurrent nerve. In addition, a patient can be recognized as a disabled person who has constant relapses, and therapy does not give any results. Such complications do not appear too often, their probability is only two percent, provided that the operation was performed in a specialized professional department.
Relapse after surgery for papillary thyroid cancer can occur if the surgeon does not completely remove the tumor. True, it happens that the cancer returns even after complete removal, which will indicate the aggressiveness of the pathology. Relapses usually occur after years and even decades. Often, the tumor can reappear in the lymph nodes and other organs, such as the lungs. But the cancer found in time is again amenable to therapy. It is carried out according to the same scheme as the primary pathology, however, the risk of complications will be much higher.
Thus, relapses occur in most cases when the thyroid was not completely removed. The tumor is usually diagnosed in another lobe of the organ. Other factors that can affect the return of cancer,the large size of the tumor appears along with an extensive and multifocal lesion. In addition, the risk of relapse increases with age.
Prognosis in the presence of the first two stages is usually favorable. At the same time, complete remission occurs in eighty-five percent of cases of total therapy. It is contraindicated for people who have undergone surgery to expose their body to any radiation, they cannot work with heavy loads.
What is the prognosis for papillary thyroid cancer after surgery?
Papillary thyroid carcinoma has a good prognosis, especially when compared with other types of tumors. The life expectancy of the patient in this case depends on several of the following factors:
- Stage of disease.
- The size of the pathological neoplasm.
- Extensity of metastases.
- Age category of the patient.
- Effectiveness of therapy.
Prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer is usually made on an individual basis according to special assessment tables. In the event that cancer is detected at the first stage, then the mortality rate is almost zero. The five-year survival rate at this stage is 97%. The 10-year survival rate is 90%. More than ten years live 75% of patients. And in the event that the tumor in the thyroid gland was very small, then you can live for twenty-five years, but you will have to be constantly treated, being observed by a doctor.
For the second stage, the five-year survival rate is only 55%. In the third stage, another five years after the operation mayonly 35% of patients survive. And at the fourth stage, only 15% of patients can live five years after surgery. With the occurrence of relapses, life expectancy is greatly reduced.
Prognosis will be even worse for those patients who have discovered distant metastases or a tumor larger than five centimeters. The main cause of death in thyroid cancer is metastases to other organs.
Prophylaxis
What should be done to prevent this disease?
- Irradiation should be avoided whenever possible.
- It is advisable to take potassium iodide.
- Genetic testing should be done to identify the genes that cause thyroid cancer.
- You need to eat foods containing iodine or use iodized s alt.
- It is necessary to treat hormonal and inflammatory pathologies in a timely manner.
- Kicking bad habits is important.
- You need to get enough rest and eat right.
- Stress and worry should be avoided.
Patient testimonials
Reviews about papillary thyroid cancer after surgery abound. It is well known that the main thing in this disease is to detect it in a timely manner.
As patients who have been diagnosed with this disease write: first of all, you need to find a good specialist for further treatment of papillary thyroid cancer.
For example, those patients who have been diagnosed with cancerthyroid glands at the first stage, they write that they easily underwent surgery, after which they were at home four days later.
Reviews of papillary thyroid cancer surgery are also mostly positive.
After that, patients are prescribed hormonal treatment and constant monitoring by the attending physician. Confidence in the future of such patients is given by the fact that papillary thyroid cancer is not the most dangerous type of cancer.
But, nevertheless, this pathology is still of an oncological nature, and on the forums you can often find soothing and supportive words that in any case you should not give up, you need to be treated and believe in the best.
