lump or mass should be evaluated by a physician. Other symptoms can include trouble breathing when lying flat, difficulty swallowing and tightness or pain in the neck or throat. Scientists at GHSU, funded by the American Academy of Otolaryngology, are making great strides toward developing a blood test to diagnose thyroid cancer.
Figure 4
Stages of Thyroid Cancer Diagnosed 2000-2008 100%
Percentage of Cases
The five-year survival rate for thyroid cancer is 97 percent, although, as with many other cancers, the rate varies widely depending on when it is diagnosed. When diagnosed at stage IV, the five-year survival rate is 59 percent nationwide—a dramatic improvement from the approximately 30 percent rate just five years ago (Figure 4). Cancer treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach. The Georgia Health Sciences Thyroid and Parathyroid Center includes endocrinologists specializing in diagnosing and managing thyroid and parathyroid disorders and surgeons specializing in thyroid surgery. Diagnosis usually involves fine-needle aspiration, in which a tiny, ultrasound-guided needle is gently inserted into the thyroid nodule. Cells from the nodule are studied microscopically to determine if they are cancerous.
0
Thyroid cancer remains a daunting adversary, but the GHS Cancer Center and Thyroid/Parathyroid Center provide an ideal partnership to diagnose and treat the disease in a patient- and family-centered environment. Cutting-edge research promises improved diagnosis and treatment.
II
III
IV
NA
UNK
MCG Health
Other
Figure 5
2010 Analytic Cases: Site by Gender Colon
Surgery is the treatment of choice for primary thyroid cancers. Patients worldwide come to Georgia Health Sciences Medical Center to benefit from the worldrenowned expertise of Dr. David Terris, who specializes in minimally invasive thyroid surgery. Surgery is often followed by radioactive iodine treatment to destroy any microscopic remnants of tumor cells. This is usually given as a single, oral medication and requires an overnight stay in the hospital. Since surgery and the iodine remove the functioning thyroid gland, patients require an oral replacement thyroid hormone. The GHS Cancer Center has partnered with the National Cancer Institute to decode the genetic basis for over 20 types of cancer, including thyroid cancer. Institutions including Memorial Sloan Kettering, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center are also participating in the project, called The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)3. This opens the door to a multitude of discoveries concerning the causes and treatments for thyroid cancer.
I
Stage at Diagnosis
Larynx Bronchus & Lung Hematopoietic & Reticuloendo System Breast Corpus Uteri Prostate Gland Bladder Thyroid Gland Lymph Nodes
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25 Female
1. 2. 3.
50
75
100 Male
125
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175
283 Transsexual
American Cancer Society Cancer Facts & Figures 2010. Atlanta, GA. Page 20. Davies, L. and H.G. Welch, Increasing incidence of thyroid cancer in the United States, 1973-2002. JAMA, 2006. 295(18): p. 2164-7. The Cancer Genome Atlas. cancergenome.nih.gov. Accessed July 1, 2011.