The American Society of Clinical Oncology estimates that 56,460 adults in the United States (13,250 men and 43,210 women) will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer this year. It is currently the fastest-growing cancer in America. How much is due to an increase in surveillance or screenings and how much is due to a biological change in disease prevalence is uncertain. The lack of symptoms also means that, in some cases, the disease progresses to advanced stages before people are aware they have a thyroid problem. Read More
In the late 1990’s head and neck surgeons began developing techniques for endoscopically removing the thyroid and parathyroid glands. More recently, surgeons in Italy developed the video-assisted approach to the thyroid and parathyroid glands. This technique allows for a significantly shorter incision length (typically around 2 centimeters vs 6 centimeters for a conventional thyroidectomy). Many patients report reduced post-operative pain and a faster recovery time. Read More
The primary treatment for thyroid cancer is the surgical removal of the entire thyroid gland along with associated lymph nodes. Preservation of the nerves of the vocal cords and the parathyroid glands during surgery is critical to a positive outcome. Because of the complexity, it takes a highly experienced surgeon to perform this type of operation. Read More
