Thyroid Cancer

　　What Is the Thyroid Cancer?

　　Thyroid cancer referring to the cancerization of thyroid tissues is a malignant tumor originated from thyroid epithelial cells. Thyroid cancer can be mainly classified as papillary adenocarcinoma and follicular adenocarcinoma according to their pathological characteristics.

　　How are the Incidence Rate and Survival Rate of Thyroid Cancer?

　　The incidence rate of thyroid cancer accounts for approximately 1% of all cancers and it is more common among children and women over age of 40, besides, its ratio of male and female is 1:2.4. Postoperative five-year survival rate for patients with papillary adenocarcinoma can reach 90%.

　　What are the Causes of Thyroid Cancer?

　　It is not very clear the exact causes of thyroid cancer, but it may be related to dietary factors (diet with high iodide or insufficient iodine), radiation exposure history, increasing estrogen secretion, genetic factors, or it may be developed by benign diseases of thyroid such as nodular goiter, hyperthyroidism, thyroid adenoma, especially chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis.

　　What are the Symptoms of Thyroid Cancer?

　　1. A lump in thyroid increases suddenly in a short term;

　　2. Hoarseness, difficulty speaking in a normal voice or breathing;

　　3. The lump is hard, rough when touching it;

　　4. The lump is limited to move or it is fixed, do not move up and down with the swallowing;

　　5. Multiple masses or nodules can be palpated in the neck.

　　What Are the Diagnosis Method for Thyroid Cancer?

　　1. Radionuclide examination: by this test, the shape, location of thyroid cancer and thyroid function can be determined;

　　2. Laboratory examination: it can identify the nature of thyroid nodules;

　　3. Ultrasound: in addition to detect shape, size, and number of thyroid mass, whether the mass is cystic or solid can be determined;

　　4. Cytology: it has a high accuracy rate in diagnosing of papillary adenocarcinoma;

　　5. X-ray: it can be mainly used to observe the relationship between trachea and thyroid;

　　6. CT scan: it can clearly show shape, size of thyroid cancer and its relationship with throat, trachea, esophagus, besides, the scope of cancer infiltration can be seen.

　　The Traditional Treatment Methods of Thyroid Cancer

　　Surgery: it can remove cancer tissues and clear cervical lymph nodes that may have metastasized.

　　Radio therapy: generally it is applicable to follicular adenocarcinoma.

　　Chemotherapy: it is often adopted as palliative treatment for advanced cancer patients who are not applicable to surgery or have developed distant metastases.

　　Traditional Chinese medicine: it can inhibit development of tumor, improve the immune function of patients with thyroid cancer, and reduce the toxic side effect of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

　　Nursing and Care After Surgery

　　1. Patients with thyroid cancer should be given liquid diet within 1- 2 days after surgery so as to reduce the pain caused by swallowing.

　　2. Patients with thyroid cancer should be guided to lie in semireclining position, properly protect the operative incision thus is conducive to drainage of wound.

　　3. Avoid strenuous cough, talking too much, and when getting up, hands should support head, so as not to pull wound.

　　4. Providing a quiet and comfortable environment, in order to eliminate agitated feeling of patients.

　　5. Closely observe whether there is swelling in wound.

　　6. If hoarseness, shortness of breath occurs, you should immediately inform doctor to deal with it.

　　What kinds of supports can be obtained?

　　Practice proves that the clinic team services composed by multiple disciplines like oncosurgery, oncology, pathology, imageology and anesthesia doctors as well as professional nurses, can provide patients with most effective, most suitable and most economic treatment plan, and also can greatly improve the therapeutic effect of treating cancer patients.

　　“One station” medical system constructed by Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou combining multiple disciplines, can perform comprehensive diagnosis and treatment for patients under the condition of without adding patients’ burden. Therefore, on one hand, it can provide all-round and heartfelt medical services, and on the other hand, it improves medical efficiency and level. There are many channels can be applied to conduct the communication between patients and doctors, like online consultation, email, telephone conversation, and face-to-face consultation. All these consultation services can effectively help patients to fight the cancer. While the medical team faced by the patients includes doctors, nurses, dietitians, interpreters and so on to meet various demands in different level of different countries. Patients would be more confident under the unobstructed communication environment to cooperate the hospital to diagnose and treat the diseases.