Thyroid cancer treatment in Dubai
Thyroid cancer in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) seems to be more common among females. Peoples whose age< 45 years can be considered an important predictive factor as well as a possible risk factor.
What is Thyroid Gland?
The thyroid gland is like a butterfly-shaped organ, located in the base of your neck. It is part of the endocrine system. It releases hormones that control the metabolism of your body.
The thyroid's hormones are responsible for regulating vital body functions some of them are:
- Heart rate
- Muscle strength
- Body temperature
- Bodyweight
- Cholesterol levels
- Breathing
What is Thyroid Cancer?
It is a type of cancer that starts in the thyroid gland. The reason for cancer is the abnormal growth of cells or when cells begin to grow out of control. Some of them are non-cancerous but others are cancerous, which means that they can spread to the tissues and other parts of the body.
In the case of thyroid cancer, a tumor develops in the thyroid, it is sensed as a lump in the neck.
If a person does not get enough iodine then its thyroid gland gets enlarged and this enlarged or swollen gland is known as thyroid goiter.
Type of Thyroid Cancer
Papillary thyroid cancer: It accounts for 80% of cases. It develops from follicular cells and usually grows slowly. This is the most common type. If not treated on time the papillary thyroid cancer can often spread to lymph nodes.
Follicular thyroid cancer: This cancer develops from follicular cells and usually grows slowly. Papillary thyroid cancer and follicular thyroid cancer are very common but follicular cancer is less common than papillary thyroid cancer. It rarely spreads to lymph nodes.
Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC): It develops in the C
cells. and is the result of a genetic syndrome called multiple
endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2). About 25% of all MTC is familial. This means that the chances
of family members of the patient will have the possibility of a similar diagnosis.
Anaplastic thyroid cancer: This type of cancer is very rare, about 1% of thyroid cancer.
It is a fast-growing, poorly differentiated thyroid cancer. Anaplastic thyroid cancer can be subtyped into giant cell classifications. This type of thyroid cancer spread so quickly, it is more difficult to treat successfully.
Hurthle cell cancer: this cancer arises from a certain type of follicular cell. The chances of Hurthle cell cancers are much more likely to spread to lymph nodes than other follicular
thyroid cancers.
Sarcoma: This is a very rare type of thyroid cancer.
SYMPTOMS of Thyroid Cancer
- Difficulty in breathing
- Pain in the throat or neck
- Problem in swallowing
- A lump in the front of the neck
- Hoarseness
Causes of Thyroid Cancer
- Iodine deficiency
- Inflammation of thyroid, caused by a virus or bacteria.
- Autoimmune diseases
- Cancerous tumors on the thyroid gland
- Nodules
- Non-cancerous lumps, inside the thyroid
- Genetic disorders
- Medical treatments like radiation therapy, thyroid surgery
TREATMENT
Surgery used to treat thyroid cancer includes:
- Radioactive iodine: This treatment comes as a capsule or liquid that you swallow. The radioactive iodine is first taken up by thyroid cells and thyroid cancer cells. Radioactive iodine treatment is commonly used after thyroidectomy to destroy any remaining healthy thyroid tissue, as well as the area which remains untouched during surgery.
- Thyroid hormone therapy: This medication supplies missing hormones that your thyroid would normally produce. It suppresses the production of thyroid-stimulating hormone because high (TSH) levels could stimulate the remaining cancer cells to grow.
- Removing lymph nodes in the neck: In this treatment, the surgeon removes enlarged lymph nodes from your neck and further test them for cancer cells.
- External radiation therapy: In this therapy machines are used that produce high-energy beams, such as protons and X-rays, these rays are concentrated at a point on the body. External radiation therapy is considered when cancer continues to grow after radioactive iodine treatment.
- Chemotherapy: It is a drug treatment, in this process chemicals, are used to kill cancer cells. This treatment is given through injection or as an infusion through a vein. The chemicals travel in the whole body and kill the quickly growing cells, including cancer cells.
- Removing most of the thyroid: In some cases, complete thyroid is removed to treat thyroid cancer. Your doctor makes this decision on the basis of your neck to access your thyroid.
- Targeted drug therapy: In this treatment, specific drugs are used to target the signals that tell cancer cells to grow and divide. They are used in people who are suffering from advanced thyroid cancer.
- Injecting alcohol into cancers: This treatment is done when you have thyroid cancers limited to small areas in your neck. This treatment is very helpful for treating cancers that occur in the area that are not easily accessible during other processes like surgery.
