Thyroid Cancer Outcomes

Patients usually notice a lump or nodule in and around their neck, or a change in their voice, which prompts them to get it checked out by their doctor. Other thyroid cancers are found during a routine checkup. At times, thyroid cancer is found when people have imaging tests like computed tomography (CT) scans or ultrasounds for another condition.

All of these factors allow for a thyroid cancer prognosis that is treatable and an extended thyroid cancer life expectancy. In fact, most patients who are diagnosed with thyroid cancer are successfully cured with surgical treatment and/or radioiodine therapy.

Thyroid cancer life expectancy depends on a multitude of factors, including the size and location of the tumor, the type of thyroid cancer, whether the cancer has spread and the patient’s overall health. According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year thyroid cancer survival rates are as follows:

• Papillary thyroid cancer: nearly 100%
• Follicular thyroid cancer: nearly 100%
• Medullary thyroid cancer: 91%
• Anaplastic thyroid cancer: 8%

As you can see, a thyroid cancer prognosis is generally very good, with treatment options. It is rarely fatal.

As with all cancers, the rates of recurrence vary with thyroid cancer. Your surgeon will do their best to remove all of the cancer during thyroid surgery followed by careful observation in the weeks, months and years following treatment.

Some patients will not have a thyroid cancer recurrence, however, they may develop an entirely different cancer. This is known as second cancer. People who have or had thyroid cancer are at an increased risk of developing the following:

• Breast cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Adrenal cancer (considerably higher risk for people who have had medullary thyroid cancer)

In addition, patients who receive a large amount of radioiodine treatment have an increased risk of developing:

• Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)
• Stomach cancer
• Salivary gland cancer

After thyroid cancer treatment, patients should see their doctors regularly for follow-up visits. This will ensure that their thyroid and overall health can be closely monitored.

Following surgery for thyroid cancer, patients may experience some side effects including:

• Hoarseness or loss of voice. If the voice box (larynx) is irritated at any point during the surgery, or if the nerves to the vocal cords are damaged, this can occur. This side effect may be temporary or permanent.
• Damage to the parathyroid glands. These are small glands located behind the thyroid that control calcium in the body. If they become damaged, it can affect calcium levels in the blood, which may lead to muscle spasms, numbness and tingling.

Other side effects may include:

• Excessive bleeding or major blood clot in the neck (hematoma)
• Infection
• Damage to the esophagus
• Damage to the trachea

Every surgery carries some level of risk. These side effects occur less when care is received at an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center with skilled surgeons, like Winship.