How does thyroid cancer, its symptoms and treatment

Thyroid cancer is an oncological disease that occurs as a result of abnormal growth and division of cells of glandular tissue. The frequency of this type of cancer is quite low and is about 1% of all cases. At the same time mortality from thyroid cancer does not exceed 0.5% of deaths from malignant tumors. If the symptoms of the disease are identified at the initial stages of its development, then the prognosis for patients is usually optimistic.

• Causes
• first symptoms and signs
• Types
• Stage
• Consequences
• Diagnostics
• treatment without surgery
• Operation
• Diet
• have
• children during pregnancy
• Treatment folk remedies
• Survival
• Prevention

Causes

The external factors include:

• Genetic predisposition.
• Age is more than 40 years.
• Radioactive irradiation, including radiation treatment in the neck and head. Tumor growth can begin even after several years.
• Professional factors: work with ionizing radiation, heavy metals, in a hot shop.
• Harmful habits and frequent stress.

Chronic diseases can also cause thyroid cancer:

• Colon polyps.
  

  
  

• Tumors of the mammary glands.
• Various immune disorders. Benign formations and nodules of the gland.
• Multinodular goiter and cystic formations.
• Diseases of the female genital organs.

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First symptoms and signs of

An onset of cancer can occur with the following symptoms and signs:

• The presence of fast-growing seals in the neck.
• Pain sensations, often covering the ears, neck and neck.
• A hoarse voice.
• Discomfort when swallowing.
• Heavy breathing and unreasonable shortness of breath.
• The presence of dry cough, not associated with infectious and colds.
• Tides.

In addition, the patient has a general malaise:

• Weakness.
• Elevated body temperature.
• Loss of appetite.
• Fast fatigue.
• Depression.
• Pale.

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Types of

• Papillary. This type of tumor is diagnosed in patients in 80-85% of cases. Most often affects people aged 30-40 years, there are cases of papillary cancer in children and adolescents. In this case the tumor is localized in one lobe of the organ and represents a dense single site, less often the cancer cells are fixed in two lobes of the thyroid. The tumor grows quite slowly, inhibiting the function of the cervical lymph nodes. In almost 30% of cases, papillary cancer is accompanied by metastases. The prognosis of recovery is favorable.
• Follicular. Diagnosed in patients aged 50-60 years and observed in 14% of cases. It is more common in people living in regions with a deficiency of iodine-containing products. In this case, the symptoms of the follicular tumor are more aggressive than those of the papillary tumor. Often, metastases are recorded in the cervical lymph nodes, respiratory system and bones. The prognosis for recovery is similar to the papillary type of oncology.
• Medullary cancers are fixed in 5% of patients, it is manifested by poorly expressed clinical symptoms of Itenko-Cushing syndrome. It is characterized by reddening of the skin of the face, frequent "hot flashes", regular diarrhea. Symptoms of this tumor are more aggressive than in the above types of cancer gland. Medullary cancer gives metastases to the cervical lymph nodes, to the area of ​​the trachea and muscles. In exceptional cases, metastases spread to internal organs.
• Anaplastic appearance is rare and develops in people in old age. In this case, the gland tissues begin to actively grow and grow in a number of located tissue structures, provoking choking, difficulty swallowing and dysphonia. As a rule, anaplastic cancer can not manifest itself in any way, and for many years it has been diagnosed as a nodal goiter.

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Stages of

Thyroid cancer differentiates depending on the stage of the disease:

• Symptoms of stage I are localization in the glandular tissues of the gland of one tumor without metastases and destruction of the organ capsule.
• For the second degree of thyroid cancer, there is a lack of metastases and the presence of single or multiple nodular formations. In this case, the capsule of the organ is deformed.
• Malignant tumor of the third stage manifests itself in changes of the gland itself, lesion of lymph nodes and pressure on nearby tissues.
• Stage IV is characterized by metastases that spread to the internal organs and lymph nodes.
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Consequences of

The specific consequences of thyroid cancer include:

• Hoarseness, change in the timbre of the voice or its loss as a result of damage and loss of elasticity of the larynx muscles.
• Impaired mobility of the shoulder joint.
• Development of hypothyroidism.
• Numbness of the hands with further damage to the parathyroid glands.
• Painful sensations in the neck.
• Swallowing problems.

The general consequences of cancer include:

• Infertility.
• Psychological trauma.
• Sexual abuse.
• Decreased immunity.
• Disability.
• Dysfunction of the gland.
• Physical and moral exhaustion.
• Lethal outcome.

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Diagnostics

Early cancer diagnosis increases the chance for rapid recovery and further recovery of the patient's health.

For the accurate diagnosis, the following methods are used:

• Scanning the thyroid gland helps to clarify the stage of development of the process. Radioactive iodine is injected into the patient's body intravenously or orally. After a while, the element accumulates in the tissues of the thyroid gland, and special equipment estimates its number. Scanning is effective for papillary and follicular cancer, but not for medullary form, as the gland cells lose the ability to accumulate iodine.
• ultrasound helps to determine only the size and number of nodules, but not their malignancy.
• MRI for accurate determination of the type of tumor.
• Blood test for the diagnosis of medullary cancer, the presence of which is determined by the level of calcitonin in the blood.
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Treatment without surgery

The choice of method of therapy depends on the type of the disease and the stage of its development. Treatment may include the use of radioactive iodine, chemotherapy, external radiation, hormonal therapy or a combination thereof:

• Radioactive iodine. The method is based on selective concentration and prolonged exposure to iodine-131 in tumor tissues. Upon ingestion, practically the entire dose of iodine accumulates in the cells of the organ. Under the influence of radiation, healthy and tumor cells are destroyed, without damaging other organs. Radioiodine therapy is used to destroy the thyroid tissue that has remained after surgery. The technique is also effective for metastases in lymph nodes and other organs.
• Chemotherapy. In most cases it is used after surgery, with relapse and in the treatment of anaplastic form of cancer. Sometimes it is used for the treatment of medullary cancer or for palliative therapy of a common malignant process in 4 stages. Depending on the stage of the disease and its course, the patient is prescribed hormonal and other drugs. The most common are Aklarubicin, Bleomycin, Carboplatin and Etoposide. All medications are administered intravenously. Once in the bloodstream, they affect the cancer-affected cells throughout the body.
• Radiation therapy. Assumes the use of high-energy radiation to affect the affected cells. Before the procedure, precise and fine tuning is performed to irradiate the pathological area without damaging the surrounding healthy tissues. The method is prescribed for all forms of cancer, especially when treatment with radioactive iodine is ineffective. With the growth of cancer cells beyond the thyroid, radiotherapy reduces the risk of re-development of the tumor after surgical treatment and slows the occurrence of metastases in other organs.
• Suppressive therapy. This is the main method of treatment after radical thyroidectomy. It is indicated for the reduction of serum TSH concentration. With follicular and papillary form of cancer significantly reduces the frequency of relapses. The medicine for therapy is selected only by the attending physician. Such drugs as L-thyroxine, Somatulin, Bleomycin Sulphate, etc. can be used.
• Elective therapy for medullary cancer. Standard hormone therapy and radioactive iodine are not suitable for treating this form of the disease, since they are ineffective. Vandetanib and Cabozantinib are appointed for the treatment of medullary cancers as selective therapy. The drugs help to stop the growth of tumor cells for 6-7 months from the beginning of treatment.
• Selective therapy of follicular and papillary cancer. The need for drugs to treat these forms of cancer is less urgent, as they are well suited to treatment with radioiodine therapy and surgery. To drugs for treatment after surgery are: Sunitinib, Sorafenib, Pazopanib, Vandetanib.

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Operation

Surgical intervention is considered the main treatment for thyroid cancer when other therapies did not bring positive dynamics, exceptions are only some anaplastic forms.

Lobectomy is an operation in which one part of the organ is removed. This method is used to treat a small tumor that has not spread beyond the tissues of the thyroid. In some cases, lobectomy is performed with a diagnostic purpose, when the biopsy did not give an accurate result.

Thyroidectomy is an operation in the process of which the entire organ is removed. This method is used most often in the treatment of thyroid gland. With an extensive thyroid tumor, lymph nodes, jugular veins and other organs can also be removed.

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Diet

In addition to traditional treatment, a patient with oncology needs to adhere to a certain diet that will help restore healthy tissue, improve health, and prevent depletion of the body. When thyroid cancer is useful to include in the diet:

• Green, green vegetables and fruits that include chlorophyll: young peas, cabbage, lettuce, chlorella, sorrel, green mustard, etc.
• Fruits and vegetables of red, orange and yellowflowers, rich in antioxidants such as lycopene, beta-carotene, carotenoids, lutein, have an anti-cancer effect. Such products include: carrots, apricots, tomatoes, citrus fruits, etc.
• Green tea.
• Vegetables of the cruciferous family contain indole substance( broccoli, radish, turnip, color and Brussels sprouts, etc.), which neutralizes carcinogens of chemical origin.
• The detoxifying and antitumor properties due to the content of phytoncides in them are garlic, onion, pineapple.
• Elgic acid is rich in berries( blueberries, raspberries, strawberries) and pomegranates. This substance prevents carcinogenic oxidation in cell membranes.

Nutrition in oncology of the thyroid should exclude iodine-containing foods. However, one can not call some products useful, but others are not. There are those that should be completely excluded from the oncological diet: they are marinades, sugar, fatty and hard to digest food, but there are some that need to be discussed with the doctor( for example, seafood).

The undesirable products include:

• Marine and iodized salt.
• Chicken Yolks. Beans, beans.
• Soy and products from it.
• Chocolate and products containing it.

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In children

Cancer of the thyroid gland in childhood is very rare and represents an average of 2% of the total number of cancers in children. The risk factors for oncology include:

• Iodine deficiency in the body.
• Exceeded radiation level.
• Previously conducted irradiation of the neck and head region.

The first signs and signs of thyroid cancer can be different:

• The appearance of asymmetry and deformation of the anterior surface of the neck.
• Sensations of foreign body and discomfort when swallowing.
• Unpleasant sensations when turning the head.
• Constant feeling of neck tightness in clothes.

The main method of treating breast cancer in children is an operation. The choice of the method of surgical intervention depends on the stage of the disease, the number of nodes in the organ and their location, the structure of the tumor and the rate of its growth. With aggressive form, complete removal of the gland with further treatment with radioactive iodine is carried out. In the postoperative period, children, as well as adults, are prescribed hormone therapy.

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Pregnancy

Detection of thyroid cancer during pregnancy is not an indication of its interruption. If a woman has a highly differentiated tumor( follicular or papillary cancer) in the first trimester, then the opinion of the doctors diverge. Some believe that surgery is necessary in the second trimester, while others recommend postponing surgical intervention for the postpartum period. In case of detection of the same cancer tumor in the second or third trimester, experts agree that the operation should be performed after the birth of the child.

When a low-grade cancer is detected, a woman is shown surgery. The best period for its holding is the second trimester of pregnancy. Complete removal of glandular tissue is performed, and after - suppressive treatment with L-thyroxin in a dose of 2.5 μg / kg of weight.

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Treatment with folk remedies

The therapeutic effect of medicinal plants is rather delayed and it is very dangerous for oncology. Therefore, people's treatment is risky and possible only after consulting a doctor.

• For cleansing the gland, it is recommended to use herbal preparations or flax seed infusion. The fees may include plants such as chamomile, motherwort, dandelion roots, wormwood and immortelle.10 grams of the mixture should be poured with 250 milliliters of boiling water and insist for 35 minutes. The medicine should be taken in small sips in the intervals between meals.
• The root of the dzhungarian aconite is used as an additional treatment for cancer of the gland. To make the tincture, you need to pour 20 grams of root vodka( 250 milliliters) and insist in a glass vessel in a darkened place. Take the finished medicine according to the scheme: 1 day - 1 drop 3 times daily before meals.2 day - 2 drops and so to 10 day dose should be increased to 10 drops. From 11 days the dose should be reduced by 1 drop. The course of treatment takes 20 days. After this, you should take a break for 14 days and repeat the treatment. It is recommended to complete 3 courses.
• A good remedy for cancer is the celandine infusion. To make it, you need to dig up the roots of the plant during the flowering period in May, wash and dry. Then grind and squeeze the juice through the cheesecloth. The resulting liquid is diluted with vodka( 1: 2) and leave to infuse for 14 days in a dark place. Take medicine 5 milliliters 3 times a day.

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Survival of

Prognosis for thyroid cancer is much more optimistic than in other tumor formations. For example, many patients under 45 years of age with a tumor size of up to 3 centimeters after surgery are guaranteed complete recovery. Elderly patients with stage 4 cancer have a less favorable outcome. Survival also depends on the type of cancer and the stage of cancer.

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Prevention of

Minimizing the risk of developing thyroid cancer is possible with the following simple recommendations:

• To control your diet, the diet should be correct and balanced. It is recommended to eat iodized salt, sea kale and other products rich in iodine in food.
• Avoid frequent radiographic examination of the neck and head.
• Annual passing of medical examinations and examinations.