Thyroid Cancer Treatment Is Possible Without Removing The Entire Thyroid Gland

Stating that surgery is absolutely necessary for thyroid cancer, Endocrine Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Erhan Ayşan said that it is not necessary to remove the entire thyroid gland, which is accepted as the orchestra conductor of the body, in every thyroid cancer.
The number of people diagnosed with thyroid cancer in Turkey, an endemic goiter country, is increasing every year. Indicating that surgery is absolutely necessary for every thyroid cancer, Endocrine Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Erhan Ayşan gave important information about the new surgical approach that has come to the fore with scientific studies in recent years.
Stating that the thyroid gland should be completely removed for some types of cancer, but this approach does not apply to all thyroid cancers, Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital Endocrine Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Erhan Ayşan said, “In correctly selected cases of thyroid cancer, it is not necessary to remove the entire thyroid gland. Taking a certain part is sufficient for cancer treatment. The patient does not have to take medication for a lifetime. ”

“When the Thyroid Gland is Removed from the Body, Serious Metabolic Problems Occur”

Stating that the statement of ‘conductor of the body’ for the thyroid is very true, Prof. Erhan Ayşan said, “Thyroid hormones affect everything from the lengthening of your hair strands to liver functions, respiration in the lungs, and heart rate. Therefore, when the thyroid hormone secretion is disrupted or the entire thyroid gland is removed from the body for some reason, serious metabolic problems are inevitable.”

“We Leave the Healthy Part and Remove the Cancerous Part”

Stating that the formations called nodules in the thyroid gland are the focus of cancer, Prof. Dr. Erhan Ayşan said, “When we look at the scientific framework, if the tumor diameter is below 2 cm and there is no other nodule in the thyroid gland, it is sufficient to remove only a part of the thyroid. To be more precise, we remove the cancerous part, which is sick from the thyroid gland, but we leave the healthy part in the patient. In this way, the patient gets rid of cancer, and the healthy thyroid gland, that is, the conductor, remains in place. As a result, the patient does not deal with many metabolic problems because he/she does not have to take hormone drugs from outside after the surgery. ”

“The Success Rate in Correctly Chosen Cases is Very High”

Underlining that this organ-sparing surgery is not suitable for every patient with thyroid cancer, it is very important to select the right patients with the right scientific criteria, Prof. Dr. Erhan Ayşan made the following important warnings on the subject: “It is very crucial to determine for which patients this treatment approach is suitable. Therefore, we need to be very careful when we say ’In thyroid cancer, the entire thyroid gland may not be removed'. In correctly selected cases, removing only the cancerous part of the thyroid gland and leaving the healthy part provides a great advantage to the patient. However, if the case is not selected correctly and only a part of the entire thyroid is removed in the patient who needs to be removed, this causes problems such as the spreading and recurrence of cancer and opens the door to second or even third surgeries. Hence, the decision of the surgical technique to be applied should be made by a professional, experienced endocrine surgeon. In fact, preferably this decision should be taken by a panel of experts, not by the individual.”
Stating that the success of this approach in correctly selected dignitaries is close to 100%, Prof. Dr. Erhan Ayşan said, "If the right patient is selected, there will be no problem, the patient will both get rid of his cancer and will continue his life without using thyroid hormone drugs for a lifetime."

Patients Who Receive Thyroid Gland Must Use Lifetime Drugs

Emphasizing that the thyroid gland is very important for our general health, therefore, it is necessary to keep it in the body as much as possible, Prof. Dr. Erhan Ayşan said, “When you take the patient's thyroid gland, that person has to take the hormones produced by this gland as tablets for a lifetime. Therefore, the patient is now metabolically dependent on the drug. This has various difficulties and financial burdens in daily life, of course! The reason for all these efforts is to treat the patient's cancer while keeping him away from problems related to the use of hormone drugs. ”