Approximately 55,000 Americans are diagnosed with thyroid cancer every year, with about 2,000 of those cases resulting in death.

Fortunately, most people diagnosed with thyroid cancer will do well with treatment. However, there are some more aggressive forms of the disease that are harder to cure. There is no recommended screening protocol for thyroid cancer like those in place for colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and other prevalent types of cancer. Most thyroid cancer cases are found by chance – either during a physical exam or during a course of imaging involving the neck (such as ultrasounds or MRIs done for reasons unrelated to cancer).

Individuals who have a strong family history of thyroid cancer, or who have had radiation to the neck, often have thyroid screening ultrasounds done every 1-2 years as a preventive measure that is recommended by their physician. Most Americans, however, fall outside this high-risk group until a potential problem is identified.

When a thyroid nodule is detected, the usual course of treatment is to conduct an ultrasound. In some cases, a skinny needle biopsy is required. Symptomatic, suspicious, or cancerous thyroid nodules often require surgery that involves removing half or all of the thyroid gland. Sometimes lymph nodes are removed as well, particularly if they are known to bein volved in the diagnosis before surgery.

Some people may require treatment with radioactive iodine (I 131) pills after surgery to clear out remaining cancer cells. Chemotherapy is rarely needed except for patients with advanced forms of the disease. There are some newer medications available to turn off the cellular mechanisms that thyroid cancer cells use to survive.

Overly radical treatment, with serious side effects, is rarely necessary if patients seek out high-quality treatments as early as possible. When this happens, prognosis is generally excellent. Finding a well-trained surgeon with specific experience in treating thyroid cancer is key.

At Mount Sinai, we have a dedicated and highly experienced team of surgeons, medical oncologists, nuclear medicine doctors and endocrinologists available to provide the best and safest treatments for people diagnosed with thyroid cancer.