Malignant thyroid tumors, also known as thyroid malignancies, are a common disease in women between the ages of 30 and 60. Women are at higher risk of developing malignant thyroid tumors than men, and the incidence of the disease also increases with age. This article provides information on whether malignant thyroid tumors can be cured.

What is a thyroid tumor?

The thyroid gland, located in the neck, plays an important role in producing hormones that regulate the body’s metabolism, including T3, T4, FT3, FT4, and TSH, and also plays a role in controlling body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate.

Thyroid tumors are solid tumors that appear on the thyroid gland. Most cases of thyroid tumors do not cause serious problems and do not show symptoms. However, about 5 – 15% of cases of tumors are malignant.

Thyroid tumors are solid tumors that appear on the thyroid gland.

There are four main types of malignant thyroid tumors, including:

• Papillary thyroid cancer: The most common type accounts for about 60% of cases and usually occurs in people under 40 years old, especially in women.
• Follicular thyroid cancer: Accounts for about 15% of cases and is common in older people.
• Medullary thyroid cancer: Accounts for 5 – 8% and may have a genetic component in the family.
• Anaplastic thyroid cancer: The rarest and most aggressive type, accounting for less than 5%, usually occurs in people over 60 years old.

Anaplastic and anaplastic thyroid cancer often have a poor prognosis.

Most cases of thyroid cancer do not show any early signs. As malignant thyroid tumors develop, symptoms may include:

• Difficulty breathing or swallowing;
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck;
• Hoarseness of unknown cause and/or not improving after several weeks;
• Sore throat that does not improve.

Can malignant thyroid tumors be cured?

Can malignant thyroid tumors be cured? According to experts, compared to many other types of cancer, malignant thyroid tumors are considered one of the “most pleasant cancers”. This is reflected in the rate of malignant cases accounting for only about 1%, the low mortality rate and the ability to treat successfully if the disease is detected early and treated properly.

However, the patient’s life expectancy depends on a number of factors such as the patient’s overall health status, the stage of the disease and the patient’s age.

• If treatment is started right from stage 1 and 2, when the tumor has not spread to other organs, the 5-year survival rate can reach 100%.
• In stage 3, when the tumor is larger than 4cm, has spread outside the thyroid gland and metastasized to the lymph nodes in the neck, the 5-year survival rate ranges from 71 – 93%.
• For stage 4, when the tumor has spread to distant organs, the 5-year survival rate usually drops to between 28 – 51%, depending on the specific type of cancer.

Is malignant thyroid tumor curable is what many patients worry about.

Therefore, early detection of thyroid cancer plays an important role in the treatment process, helping to improve the prognosis and outcomes of patients.

Treatment of malignant thyroid tumors

The above section has answered the question of whether malignant thyroid tumors can be cured. So what is the treatment for thyroid tumors? Surgery is the most common treatment method. Depending on the size and location of the tumor, the doctor may perform surgery to remove part of the thyroid gland (lobectomy) or the entire gland. In cases where cancer cells have spread, the doctor may prescribe the removal of nearby lymph nodes.

• Radioiodine therapy is a method of taking a dose of highly active radioactive iodine, destroying cancer cells in the thyroid gland. However, radioactive iodine therapy affects healthy thyroid cells and causes temporary, harmless side effects.
• Radiation therapy is a treatment that uses radiation to kill cancer cells and stop them from growing. It is less effective for poorly differentiated thyroid tumors, but is often used for medullary thyroid tumors.
• Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells through intravenous injection or by mouth. Although very few people with thyroid cancer will need chemotherapy.
• Hormonal therapy is a treatment that blocks the release of hormones that can cause cancer to spread or come back.

Depending on the size and location of the tumor, surgery to remove part of the thyroid gland may be necessary.

Whether malignant thyroid tumors can be cured has been answered in the above article. Although malignant thyroid cancer can bring many challenges and affect health, with proper medical care, the possibility of cure is completely possible. The most important thing is to closely monitor, periodically check your health and consult with medical experts to ensure effective treatment and maintain stable health. At the same time, maintaining a healthy lifestyle also plays an important role in the recovery process and preventing recurrence of the disease.