The cause? Although the exact cause has not yet been identified, ① exposure to radiation, ② abnormalities in the gene, and ③ DNA damage caused by iodine contrast agents injected during CT are suspected. ④ It is estimated that about 5% of papillary cancers and 25% of medullary cancers are related to family history (gene mutation). In Korean people, ⑤ intake of iodine food and ⑥ BRAF gene mutation are pointed out as the cause.What is the diagnosis? Usually, ultrasound scans show ① low-shaded nodules, ② irregular boundaries, ③ vertically longer nodules, ④ calcification of the nodules, ⑤ increased blood flow in the nodules, or if the lymph nodes on the same side are larger, they perform fine-needle aspiration cytology (extract cells from thin needles and check for the presence of cancer cells with a microscope), and sometimes ⑦ BRAF genetic mutation tests. ⑧ CT and MRI are used to determine cancer progression.Thyroid cancer? Thyroid cancer is a cancer that occurs in cells that make up the thyroid gland, such as follicles, endowment cells, connective tissue, and lymphocytes, and in follicular cells, papillary cancer, follicular cancer, and undifferentiated cancer (the cancer species is certain but the cells are not yet differentiated and cannot be classified into any tissue type), medullary cancer in endowment cells, thyroid sarcoma in endowment tissues, and malignant lymphoid tumors in lymphocytes.Understanding Thyroid Cancer (Q&A) 1. Is it okay to be safe if I get a positive result on a cell test? Since there is a high possibility of developing cancer in the future, I have to do it every year. There is a high possibility that the benign nodule will coexist with cancer up to 15%. 2. What is radiofrequency therapy? It is a treatment that burns the nodule by sending a high-frequency current through a 1-mm-diameter needle while watching the ultrasound image. If the nodule is large, it has to be repeated several times. 3. Can I eat food that contains iodine, such as laver, seaweed, and kelp after removing the nodule? You can eat it. However, if radioactive iodine treatment is scheduled, you should not eat it for two weeks before treatment. 4. Is men’s prognosis worse than women’s? In general, it is. Men tend to be insensitive to their diseases, so they are found late and try to hide them, and it is difficult to detect nodules due to their large larynx and developed neck muscles.What are the symptoms? The most common early symptoms are ① nodules in the thyroid gland. About 5% of the population sees or feels nodules, and about 50% of the population has nodules, including those found on ultrasound, so there is no need to worry that it may be cancer just because nodules are found. Other than that, there are ② nodules and the voice changes husky, ③ nodules do not move well because they are attached to the surrounding tissues, ④ something gets caught when swallowing food, ⑤ When you touch a nodule, the surface is uneven and does not move up and down, and you feel like you are out of breath in the ⑥. These days, it is often found while examining other diseases without these symptoms!Curiousness about thyroid cancer surgery There are many 說 about thyroid cancer surgery such as “You don’t have to do it,” “It’s better to have a half-drug,” or “It’s better to have at least a nodule removed,” but the Korean Thyroid Society recommends the following in line with U.S. guidelines. Even if the nodule is less than 1 cm in size at the beginning, if there is lymphatic gland metastasis or invasion of the membrane, it is recommended to remove the entire nodule. If it is diagnosed as follicular cancer, medullary cancer, or undifferentiated cancer, it should be removed as soon as possible. Also, the later the papillary cancer strains such as tall cells, diffuse sclerosis, and islet-shaped variants, the worse the prognosis is, so it’s better to remove them sooner!Reference materials: Two-week Table for the Cure of Thyroid Cancer (Kukil Media), Cancer Information of the National Cancer Information Center.How about the treatment? The most basic treatments include surgical nodule removal, thyroid hormone administration after removal, and radioactive iodine treatment. It is most important to completely remove the cancerous thyroid gland and the surrounding tissues or lymph nodes that have spread the cancer. Thyroid hormone drugs, which are administered as adjuvant treatments after surgery, should be taken for life. Radioactive iodine is administered to prevent recurrence due to the growth of cancer cells that were very finely scattered at the time of removal. Radioactive iodine treatment is effective against papillary and follicular cancers, but not undifferentiated cancers!Exploring Thyroid Cancer The cancer with the highest increase rate in Korea over the past 10 years is called thyroid cancer. It was common in women in the past, but it is also very high in men these days. I was a little unfamiliar with cancer, so I didn’t know much about it. I learned a lot while writing this article
