"Should Surgery Be Required for Thyroid Cancer?"

Thyroid cancer is a relatively common endocrine tumor clinically. Whether thyroid cancer requires surgical treatment depends on factors such as pathological staging and type, including papillary thyroid cancer, follicular thyroid cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, and undifferentiated thyroid cancer.

Papillary Thyroid Cancer:

Patients with early-stage papillary thyroid cancer can usually undergo surgical treatment, such as total thyroidectomy and lymph node dissection, to prevent further spread of cancer cells.

Follicular Thyroid Cancer:

Patients with early-stage follicular thyroid cancer can undergo surgical treatment, such as total thyroidectomy, lobectomy, and unilateral thyroidectomy. Lymph node dissection is generally not required as it may increase the risk of metastasis.

Medullary Thyroid Cancer:

Patients with early-stage medullary thyroid cancer can undergo surgical treatment, such as radical thyroidectomy and lymph node dissection. Distant metastasis is generally not required.

Undifferentiated Thyroid Cancer:

Undifferentiated cancer is a highly malignant tumor with a low degree of differentiation. If the pathological staging is T3 or T4, surgical treatment is required, such as total thyroidectomy and neck lymph node dissection. Comprehensive treatment such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy can also be used. For patients with recurrent or advanced thyroid cancer, drug control or radiation therapy is usually required. After surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, patients need to undergo regular thyroid function tests to allow doctors to adjust the corresponding treatment plan based on the test results. It is recommended that patients with thyroid cancer promptly consult a tumor surgeon in the hospital for B-ultrasound examination and other treatments under the guidance of professional doctors to prevent disease progression and impact on physical health.