Medullary Thyroid Cancer

There are 4 common types of thyroid cancer, and each type responds best to 1 or a combination of thyroid cancer treatments.
Papillary Thyroid Cancer
The most common type of thyroid cancer, papillary cancer, accounts for 70% to 80% of all recorded thyroid cancer cases. It is 3 times more likely to affect females than males, and is usually diagnosed in people ages 30 to 50. Typically non-aggressive, this type rarely spreads beyond the neck area. Papillary thyroid cancer takes its name after the papillary cells that make up this malignant growth.
Depending on the stage, there are several ways to treat this type of cancer. Partial thyroidectomy or lobectomy is a viable option if the tumor is only present on one side of the thyroid; otherwise endocrinologists
can recommend total thyroidectomy. Radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment may be used if the cancer is discovered in its earliest stage. For more advanced stages, doctors may administer RAI with a combination of radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
Follicular and Hurthle Cell Cancers
Follicular and Hurtle Cell are 2 thyroid cancer types make up about 10% to 15% of all reported cases. Females are 3 times more susceptible to these cancers than males. These are typically discovered in individuals between 40 and 60 years of age, and the older the patient is, the more aggressive these cancers can get.
Undergoing a total thyroidectomy is the best course of action if there are signs that the cancer has begun to spread.
The surgery is followed up with RAI to completely eliminate metastasized thyroid cancer cells that remain within the patient’s body. External beam radiation is also used to treat or prevent the growth of follicular and Hurthle cell cancers in the neck area.
Medullary Thyroid Cancer
The third most common thyroid cancer type, medullary thyroid cancer, makes up about 5% to 10% of thyroid cancer cases. The disease is believed to run in families and is associated with other endocrine issues. The abnormal cells that make up this cancer, C Cells, produce the calcitonin that regulates calcium and phosphate levels in the blood. Unlike the first 2 types of thyroid cancer, medullary thyroid cancer equally affects males and females, especially those between 40 to 50 years of age.
If discovered in its early stages, the disease can be addressed with total thyroidectomy and the removal of nearby lymph nodes. If discovered in its later stages, it can be treated with external beam radiation therapy. RAI has no effect on this type of cancer because the cells that make up medullary thyroid cancer do not use iodine.
Anaplastic
Cancer
The last but most alarming of all thyroid cancer types is called anaplastic. The rarest of the 4, it occurs to less than 5% of all thyroid cancer patients. However, because of this cancer's aggressiveness, it is usually discovered in its late stages, when it has already metastasized. At this point, there is little surgery can do to cure the disease. RAI does not work on this type of cancer. Anaplastic cancer is usually treated with a combination of external beam radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Each thyroid cancer case is different. It is always best to talk to an endocrinologist to find the best thyroid cancer treatment that can be applied to each patient’s case.