2024-04-11 22:57:05
Singer Uhm Jeong-hwa complained about the difficulty of singing due to paralysis of the left vocal cord nerve after undergoing surgery for thyroid cancer in 2010, but recently revealed that she is gradually overcoming it. Actress Park So-dam was also diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer in 2021 and underwent surgery on her. As such, ‘thyroid cancer’ is one of the cancers with the highest incidence in Korea. If discovered early, the cure rate is high, but as there are many cases without symptoms, screening is important. Let’s find out more about this with Professor Jeong Woo-jin of the Department of Otolaryngology at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital.
◇ “I feel a lump on my neck”… ‘Thyroid cancer’ has a worse prognosis in men than in women.
Thyroid cancer is an organ that secretes thyroid hormones located at the bottom of the front of the neck. It is shaped like a butterfly and is located in front of the airway. These lumps in the thyroid gland are called ‘thyroid nodules’, and if they are found to be malignant, they are diagnosed as ‘thyroid cancer’. Thyroid cancer is divided into papillary thyroid cancer, follicular cancer, medullary cancer, and anaplastic cancer. Papillary thyroid cancer accounts for 80-90% of all thyroid cancers and is known to have a relatively good prognosis.
According to the latest data from the Central Cancer Registry Headquarters released in 2022, thyroid cancer is the cancer with the highest number of new cancer cases in Korea in 2020. In particular, thyroid cancer can develop at a young age, so caution is required regardless of age.
Thyroid cancer is known to progress slowly and have a good prognosis, but if it progresses significantly, the survival rate is bound to be low. Therefore, it is most important to receive active treatment, detailed examination, and follow-up at an appropriate time. It is generally known that men have a worse prognosis than women.
In most cases, there are no special symptoms in the beginning, but in cases where it is discovered at a slightly advanced stage, a lump may be felt in the front of the neck. If thyroid cancer invades the vocal cord nerves, your voice may become hoarse or you may feel dizzy when drinking water or eating food. If you feel a lump, or metastasized lymph node, on the side of the neck rather than in front of the center, it is a symptom of more advanced cancer, so you should seek prompt diagnosis and treatment. As the tumor grows in size, it may press on the airway or esophagus, making it difficult to breathe.
◇ High cure rate when detected early… Lateral lump = lymph node metastasis, treatment is required
There is no need to be afraid or worry about being diagnosed because the cure rate is high if discovered early, and there are ways to monitor the condition without surgery. However, caution is needed because not all thyroid cancers are ‘ductile cancers’.
If thyroid cancer invades the vocal cord nerves or metastasizes to the lymph nodes, it is no longer a simple surgery. If it spreads to organs such as the lungs, bones, and brain, it can eventually lead to death, so accurate diagnosis and treatment based on the degree of disease progression are necessary. do.
The thyroid gland is adjacent to structures that perform the most basic functions of our body, such as breathing, speaking, eating, and drinking, so it can have a significant impact on the quality of life after surgery. Therefore, the extent of resection must be accurately determined based on the location and size of the cancer, lymph node metastasis, and the possibility of surrounding invasion.
If thyroid cancer has progressed to a very advanced stage, a ‘total resection’ is performed to remove the entire thyroid gland along with the cancer. If it is detected early, a ‘hemectomy’ is performed to remove only the thyroid gland on one side containing the cancer along with the cancer, thereby maximizing the function of the thyroid gland. Attempts are made to preserve Even if the surgery is successful, if there is a high risk of recurrence, radioactive iodine treatment may be performed after surgery.
◇ There is a possibility of scarring due to the incision… Impact on voice, professional management is also important
In a typical thyroid cancer surgery, an incision the size of two finger joints will remain on the front of the neck. There are cases where the wound heals well without leaving a scar, but there is a possibility that a scar may appear if the area was previously injured or previously operated on in another area has not healed well.
In the case of thyroid cancer that is detected early and does not invade surrounding organs or metastasize to lymph nodes, various approaches to robotic surgery can be applied, taking maximum consideration of cosmetic and functional results.
Methods to avoid making an incision in the front of the neck include accessing through the areola, and performing surgery through the armpit or behind the ear. In particular, the method of approaching behind the ear is called the ‘retroauricular approach’, and among several approaches, it has the closest distance to the thyroid gland and has many advantages as it allows the removal of lymph nodes and other lesions around the thyroid gland at the same time. In addition, the postauricular approach is considered a method that can minimize complications by shortening the surgical time without making an incision in the neck.
Meanwhile, due to the nature of the neck, the voice is affected to some extent, and foreign body sensations in the throat may occur. Therefore, endoscopic observation of the neck and specialized management of the voice by a specialist who can treat the larynx and voice well before and after surgery are required. It is also important to receive.
(Seoul = News 1)
2024-04-11 22:57:05