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What is thyroid gland?
Located in front of and in the lower portion of the neck, one on each side of the trachea (breathing pipe) by and just a little below the Adam's apple, are the two lobes of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormone. The two major physiologic effects of this essential hormone are increase in protein synthesis (metabolism) and increase in oxygen consumption. This is one of the most important hormone producing glands in the body.
What is Graves’ Disease?
Graves’ Disease, also known a Diffuse Toxic Goiter, Basedow's Disease, Plummer’s Disease, or Thyrotoxicosis is a malady where the Thyroid Gland is hyperfunctioning (Hyperthyroidism), producing an abnormal “long-acting thyroid stimulator” (LATS) circulating in the blood serum. The cause is not totally understood but probably immunologic. The thyroid gland enlarges diffusely many times its normal size. In some case, the size of the gland could be almost as large as half of the person’s head. The human body is like a “perfect” chemical laboratory where all the chemicals it produces must be in a specific and precise “balance” to maintain health and well-being. When an “imbalance” in the physiology occurs, a cascade of reaction starts and illness sets in.
What are the symptoms of Graves’ Disease?
Gland enlargement may not be obvious in some cases. In others, they develop into a large “tumor” in the neck, involving the entire gland. The eyes of the patient “pop” out resulting in a wide staring look (medically called exophthalmos). The skin is fine, moist and warm, with increased sweating. The heart rate is fast and the patient is nervous, possibly with hand and finger tremors. Although the appetite is increased, there is weight loss and fatigue. There is insomnia, weakness and some patients even have diarrhea.
Does Iodine deficiency cause Goiter?
Iodine is an essential ingredient in thyroid hormone synthesis. Deficiency can cause the thyroid gland to enlarge. In many regions in the Philippines, this is endemic. The introduction of iodized salt in the market has helped prevent a lot of this condition.
What is the difference between solitary and multiple thyroid tumors?
While the gland enlargement in Graves’ Disease is uniformly diffused, tumors of the thyroid could also be solitary or multiple. Solitary nodule or tumor in the thyroid gland is considered malignant until proven otherwise. Multiple nodules in the thyroid gland, on the other hand, are benign, unless there are findings of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, firmness, rapid growth, enlarged lymph nodes). This is why it is very important that a physician be consulted when any tumor in the neck or any part of the body is discovered on self-examination in order to differentiate a benign tumor from a malignant (cancerous) tumor.
What test is needed to find out if a solitary nodule is solid or cystic?
An Ultrasound or Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) will differentiate between a solid and cystic thyroid mass. This distinction is important since solid nodule could be cancerous, while cystic lesions are usually benign.
What is Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB)?
This is a test done under local anesthesia where a fine needle is inserted to hit the nodule or tumor in the thyroid gland and aspiration (“suctioning”) biopsy of the tissue is done. The tiny sample of the tissue inside the needle is then examined for cancerous cells (cytology).
How reliable is FNAB cytology?
In experienced hands, the false negative diagnosis (where cancer was present but not diagnosed) is between 1 percent and 10 percent. The false positive (where the diagnosis was cancer, but there was actually NO cancer) is between zero and 2 percent. The medical community considers this a simple and very good test. FNAB has decreased the number of thyroid operations by 33 percent (compared to the era before FNAB was available), and has increased the yield of cancer (accuracy of diagnosis) per operation.
Does a “cold” nodule on Thyroid Scan indicate it is cancer?
Many benign adenomas and cysts appear as “cold” nodules on scintiscan and some cancerous tumors show up as “warm” nodules, which should be the opposite. Therefore, scintiscans are NOT reliable in diagnosing malignancy in thyroid nodules.
What are the types of cancers of the thyroid gland?
Papillary (70 percent), Follicular (15-20 percent), Medullary (5 percent) and Anaplastic and Lymphoma (5 percent). Each has different speed of growth, spread, prognosis and mortality, and therefore, treatment varies. Papillary cancers metastasize to the neck (local), while Follicular cancer of the thyroid spread to other parts of the body by blood stream.
What are the 10-year survival rates for these treatment modalities?
Papillary cancers, 85 percent of treated patients are alive after 10 years; Follicular, 85 percent when localized, 20 percent if there was spread at the time of surgery; Medullary, 85 percent when lymph nodes removed were negative, and 45 percent, when the lymph nodes were positive for cancer; and Anaplastic type, zero, none was alive after 10 years.
In our fight against cancer, any type of cancer, anywhere in our body, prevention (where possible, as in quitting cigarette smoking) and early detection are most essential, if we are to improve the chances of living a healthy, productive and comfortable life, or, in cases of a serious illness, a cure and prolonged survival.
