Is Stage 4 Thyroid Cancer Curable?

5 Types of thyroid cancer include:

• Papillary thyroid cancer: This is the most common form of thyroid cancer. It arises from the follicular cells (cells in the thyroid gland that produce and store thyroid hormones). It occurs most commonly in people between the ages of 30 and 50 years, but it can occur at any age. The prognosis is good, especially in the early stages, with around a 98 percent cure rate.
• Follicular thyroid cancer: It also arises from the follicular cells of the thyroid. It commonly presents in those older than 50 years. Hurthle cell cancer is a rare variant of follicular thyroid cancer, and it is more aggressive. Papillary thyroid cancer and follicular thyroid cancer are sometimes referred to together as differentiated thyroid cancer.
• Anaplastic thyroid cancer: Anaplastic thyroid cancer is a rare type of thyroid cancer that usually occurs in patients older than 60 years. It is very aggressive and grows rapidly. It is very difficult to treat this cancer with a poor prognosis.
• Medullary thyroid cancer: It arises in the C cells in the thyroid gland. C cells produce a hormone called calcitonin. Elevated levels of calcitonin in the blood may indicate medullary thyroid cancer at an early stage. Calcitonin levels also help monitor treatment.
• Other rare types: Although extremely rare, some types of cancer can arise in the thyroid such as thyroid lymphoma (which arises from the immune cells of the thyroid) or thyroid sarcoma (which arises from the connective tissue cells in the thyroid).

Treatment for thyroid cancer depends on the tumor size, type of cancer, and whether the cancer has spread. Treatment options include:

• Surgery: Surgery is the most common treatment for thyroid cancer. Depending on the tumor’s size and location, the surgeon may perform a lobectomy (removing part of the thyroid gland) or thyroidectomy (all of the gland) and may remove nearby lymph nodes where the cancer cells have spread.
• Radioiodine therapy: In this, the surgeon asks patients to swallow a pill or liquid containing a higher dose of radioactive iodine. The radioiodine shrinks and destroys the diseased thyroid gland along with the cancer cells. This treatment is very safe. The thyroid gland absorbs almost all the radioiodine. The rest of the body has minimal radiation exposure.
• Radiation therapy: Radiation kills the cancer cells and stops them from growing. External radiation therapy uses a machine to deliver strong beams of energy directly to the tumor site. Brachytherapy (Internal radiation therapy) involves placing radioactive seeds in or around the tumor.
• Chemotherapy: Intravenous or oral chemotherapy drugs kill the cancer cells and stop cancer growth. Very few patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer will ever need chemotherapy.
• Hormone therapy: This treatment blocks the release of hormones that can cause cancer to spread or recur.
• Targeted drug therapy: Targeted drug treatments focus on specific abnormal proteins in the cancer cells. The drugs block abnormalities and can cause the death of cancer cells.
• Injecting alcohol into cancer: Alcohol ablation involves injecting small thyroid cancers with alcohol using radiological guidance that causes thyroid cancer to shrink.
• Palliative (supportive) care: This is specialized medical care that focuses on providing relief to patients from pain and other serious symptoms.