Thyroid cancer occurs in the butterfly-shaped gland in the neck that is responsible for producing hormones that regulate many functions in your body, including your metabolism, heart rate, and body temperature.
Working closely with the renowned experts at Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute, the Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge provides the latest surgical treatment options for thyroid cancer. Get in touch with our team to learn more.
Anyone can get thyroid cancer, regardless of age, sex, and race. However, certain populations have a higher risk of developing it. Risk factors of thyroid cancer include:
Thyroid cancer in its early stages rarely presents symptoms. As the cancer grows, you may notice the following:
Physicians used a variety of diagnostic tests and procedures to detect thyroid cancer, including:
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.
Request a consultation with the Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge to learn more about your surgical treatment options.
Thyroid cancer is curable with treatment, and endocrine surgery alone is often very effective. Depending on your type and stage of thyroid cancer, your doctor may recommend additional treatments such as radioactive iodine therapy, targeted drug therapy, chemotherapy, or external beam radiation therapy.
There are several different levels of thyroid cancer surgery, including:
Your surgeon and endocrinologist can help you determine the extent of thyroid surgery that is right for you.
In general, patients can drive again after about a week of recovery (when they are fully able to turn their head side-to-side) and return to work about 1-2 weeks after the procedure. Some minor symptoms may linger for a few weeks or months, including the sensation of a lump in the throat or a change in the voice, but they should eventually resolve. If these symptoms continue for more than three months, contact your doctor.
People can live normal lives without thyroids. However, people without this gland may need to make a few minor adjustments to their lifestyle to account for symptoms that medications don’t fully handle, like body temperature fluctuations and reduced energy.
If you have a total thyroidectomy, you will need to take a synthetic hormone replacement to replace those that your thyroid gland would have produced. It may take some time to find the right level, so expect some doctor’s appointments where they draw blood to test the amount of the hormone in your blood and adjust your medication accordingly. During this period, you may experience symptoms of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, including anxiety, difficulty sleeping, constipation, weight gain, and more. Talk to your doctor if these symptoms begin to affect your everyday life.
