"Is the Thyroid Cancer Infiltrating the Sternocleidomastoid Muscle?"
Thyroid Cancer with Involvement of the Sternocleidomastoid Muscle
Thyroid cancer with sternocleidomastoid muscle involvement is a subtype of thyroid cancer, and its treatment approach is primarily determined by the pathological stage, potentially falling into T1, T2, T3, or T4 stages. It is recommended that patients promptly seek consultation from the thyroid surgery department of a hospital and undergo surgical treatment, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy under the guidance of medical professionals.
1. Surgical Treatment
Thyroid cancer is a commonly seen malignant tumor of the thyroid gland, with pathological types including papillary carcinoma, follicular carcinoma, undifferentiated carcinoma, and medullary carcinoma. In cases of neck lymph node metastasis, distant organ metastasis may also occur in the late stages, necessitating neck lymph node dissection. Due to the malignancy of thyroid cancer and the potential for local lymph node metastasis, preoperative neck lymph node dissection is performed to reduce residual tumor cells.
2. Radiotherapy
Thyroid cancer exhibits radioactive properties, thus necessitating radiotherapy both before and after surgery to eliminate residual tumor cells that may remain during or post-surgery.
3. Chemotherapy
Post-surgery, thyroid cancer patients must also adhere to medical instructions for chemotherapy, such as using levothyroxine sodium tablets, to stimulate the body to produce more thyroxine, thereby inhibiting tumor cell growth.
Additional Treatments
Apart from the above-mentioned treatments, patients can also use targeted therapy drugs under medical guidance, for instance, sorafenib tosylate tablets, an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor that promotes tumor cell apoptosis, aiding in disease control. During medication, it is essential to maintain a bland diet, avoiding spicy, greasy, cold, and other irritating foods like peppers, fatty meats, and ice cream, as these may interfere with the efficacy of the drugs and hinder recovery.
