About Thyroid Cancer

Since most diagnoses occur between the ages of 20 and 54, patients may well have decades of follow-up. ^[1] This becomes more important because as many as 35% of well-differentiated thyroid cancers may recur as long as 40 years after initial therapy, and one third of all recurrences do not happen until more than 10 years after initial treatment.^[2] Moreover, it should be noted that well-differentiated thyroid cancer accounts for an estimated 75% of all thyroid cancer deaths.^[3] The prognosis of thyroid cancer recurrence is improved if caught early, when the tumor is small and localized. This is why it's so important to keep up with routine follow-ups!

Early diagnosis and aggressive primary treatment, coupled with continued regular monitoring may be able to lower mortality rates. ^[4]

References

1. National Cancer Institute. SEER cancer statistics review 1973-1999. Available at http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1973_1999/sections.html. Accessed July 8, 2002.

2. Mazzaferri EL, Kloos RT. Current approaches to primary therapy for papillary and follicular thyroid cancer. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2001;86:1447-1463.

3. Robbins R, Drucker W, Hann L, Tuttle RM. Advances in the detection of residual thyroid carcinoma. In: Pellitteri P, ed. Endocrine Surgery of the Head and Neck. 1st ed. San Diego, California: Singular Publishing Group;2001:277-294.

4. Mazzaferri EL, Kloos RT. Is diagnostic iodine-131 scanning with recombinant human TSH useful in the follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer after thyroid ablation? J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002;87:1490-1498.