THYROID CANCER: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How widespread is it?

In Italy, 2% of the population is affected by this disease which mainly affects women, with an average three times higher than men. A percentage that, however, seems destined to increase: in the last 20 years there has been a 200% increase in this tumor. But be careful, this is a fact linked not so much to a greater diffusion of the phenomenon but to the best diagnostic techniques that allow to identify the tumor even at the initial stages when the symptoms, such as the presence of one or more nodules inside the thyroid, do not are still evident.

How bad is it?

Except the case of a rare form (carcinoma anaplastic), in most cases the cure rate is high and can be as high as 95%. Let's not forget the importance of the time factor. In fact, a diagnosis made in time guarantees to keep the disease under observation which, if taken in the initial phase, may require an annual ultrasound check-up without the need to intervene with a real treatment. Not only that, as underlined by the specialist Dr. Massimo E. Dottorini, Director of S.C. of Nuclear Medicine 1 at the "S. Maria della Misericordia ”of Perugia, even if the patient's thyroid has to be removed, he will still be able to lead a normal life by taking hormone replacement therapy with levothyroxine, considered the most effective treatment for thyroid problems.

Who is most affected by thyroid problems?

Not only are women more prone to this condition but also familiarity, radiation exposure and iodine deficiency are elements that affect the health of our thyroid.

How to cure it and why diagnose it: nuclear medicine

As Dr. Dottorini explains, it is a method that allows to obtain numerous information on the disease thanks to the radioactive material which, combined with other substances (together they are called radiopharmaceuticals), binds itself to the tissues to be analyzed. But there is more, because the so-called radiopharmaceuticals also perform a therapeutic function by destroying the patient's diseased tissues.Hence, nuclear medicine is used not only for thyroid treatment but also to treat other diseases such as bone pain in those suffering from prostate cancer, breast and arthritis. All this while guaranteeing a high level of safety because the amount of radiation is limited and the substances used do not have toxicity or cause allergic reactions, just think that the side effects of the nuclear medical examination can be quantified in the loss of a day of life, a a figure much lower than the seven years of those who usually smoke a pack of cigarettes a day.