[As heard from a specialist] Professor Kim Seok-mo, Department of Endocrine Surgery at Gangnam Severance Hospital,
According to Professor Kim Seok-mo, a professor of Endocrine Surgery at Gangnam Severance Hospital, ‘Thyroid cancer has a generally good prognosis, but less than 1% of rare undifferentiated thyroid cancers can be as fatal as more than 80% die within a year.’ Provided by Gangnam Severance Hospital,
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, ‘According to the ‘2021 National Cancer Registration Statistics’ released recently, thyroid cancer has been the most common cancer for three consecutive years with 68.6 cases per 100,000 people. While the overall cancer survival rate is 72.1%, the 5-year relative survival rate of thyroid cancer patients is 100.1%. When the rate exceeds 100%, it means that cancer patients survive more than the general population.’,
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, ‘Thyroid cancer is usually slow-growing with a good prognosis, often referred to as ‘turtle cancer’ or ‘gentle cancer.’ However, if the timing of treatment is missed and the differentiation worsens, or if it metastasizes to major blood vessels connecting to lymph nodes, airways, esophagus, heart, and brain, it can lead to fatal outcomes.’,
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, ‘We met with ‘thyroid cancer treatment specialist’ Professor Kim Seok-mo from Gangnam Severance Hospital’s Department of Endocrine Surgery. Professor Kim stated, “While thyroid cancer generally has a good prognosis, undifferentiated thyroid cancer (anaplastic cancer) is different,” and he mentioned, “Undifferentiated thyroid cancer, which occurs in less than 1% of cases, is rare but highly malignant. If it metastasizes, the prognosis is generally poor.” Professor Kim is considered the top expert in this field, having treated over 60% of undifferentiated thyroid cancer patients in South Korea last year.’,
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, ‘-There are various types of thyroid cancer.’,
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, ‘”Thyroid cancer is divided into differentiated thyroid cancer (which accounts for over 90% and commonly occurs in women in their 30s to 50s), medullary carcinoma, undifferentiated thyroid cancer (anaplastic cancer), and other types of cancer. Among these, differentiated thyroid cancer is further classified into ‘papillary thyroid carcinoma,’ which grows like nipples (papillae) clustered in one area, and ‘follicular thyroid carcinoma,’ which forms pockets in the follicles.’,
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, ‘However, undifferentiated thyroid cancer, which accounts for less than 1% of cases, progresses rapidly and is not very responsive to chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Without treatment, the average survival period is less than 3 months and even with treatment, most cases do not exceed 1 year. It is a ‘cruel’ cancer, with less than 20% of patients surviving for more than a year. Furthermore, about 50% of patients are diagnosed after distant metastasis, indicating delayed diagnosis.”‘,
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, ‘-What sets undifferentiated thyroid cancer apart from other thyroid cancers or thyroid disorders?’,
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, ‘”Generally, thyroid cancer has symptoms in less than 10% of cases, with most cases being asymptomatic and often detected during health checkups. In contrast, undifferentiated thyroid cancer often presents with symptoms such as changes in voice, difficulty swallowing, pain, and lumps in the neck, leading patients to seek medical attention.’,
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, ‘If surgery is possible for undifferentiated thyroid cancer, it is primarily treated through surgery followed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Recently, immunotherapy and targeted therapy are being employed based on ‘next-generation sequencing tests’ to identify genetic mutations, tumor mutational burden, etc.’,
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, ‘To treat with immunotherapy and targeted therapy, it is necessary to accurately assess the stage of cancer progression. For this, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography-CT (PET-CT) scans are conducted, with the collaboration of radiology and nuclear medicine departments being crucial.’,
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, ‘Furthermore, to determine the exact pathological findings of undifferentiated thyroid cancer, consultation with the pathology department is necessary. Subsequently, the role of radiation oncology is crucial for radiation therapy, with close collaboration with medical oncology. Of course, surgery is performed in the Department of Endocrine Surgery.”‘,
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, ‘-What are the surgical methods for thyroid cancer?’,
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, ‘”The key to thyroid cancer surgery is determining the extent of surgery. The decision needs to be made whether to perform ‘total thyroidectomy,’ which removes both thyroid lobes, or ‘partial thyroidectomy,’ which removes only one lobe where the cancer is located.’,
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, ‘Moreover, if there is suspicion of metastasis to lymph nodes around the thyroid, various factors need to be considered when performing ‘neck lymph node dissection,’ including whether to remove central neck lymph nodes close to the thyroid or extend to lateral neck lymph nodes.’,
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, ‘Once the scope of surgery is determined, various surgical methods can be considered. For early thyroid cancer, surgery is performed with considerations for aesthetics through endoscopic or robotic surgical methods. As about 80% of thyroid cancer patients are female, many young female patients are opting for endoscopic or robotic surgery to avoid scarring in the neck area.’,
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, ‘Robotic surgery involves making incisions in the armpit, armpit (barba surgery), armpit, mouth, or behind the ear to insert robotic arms and remove the thyroid. With a 15-fold magnified 3D view, it allows for precise preservation of the parathyroid and nerves, minimizing complications. The surgery typically requires a hospital stay of about 3 days, and after discharge, the disease stage and future treatment direction are determined 1-2 weeks later.’,
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, ‘Since the surgery is performed with the neck extended, patients may experience pain in the neck and shoulder areas post-surgery. It is advisable to engage in light stretching and prevent adhesions through neck exercises starting from 1 week post-surgery.”‘,
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