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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    What is papillary thyroid cancer?

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    Thyroid Cancer
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    Dr Nicolas Oddone-Baridon

    General Surgeon

    Dr Nicolas Oddone Baridon MBBS, MS, MD, FRACS is an accomplished and passionate General Surgeon whose main interest is thyroid surgery (endocrine surgeon). He has … View Profile

    Papillary thyroid cancer it is a type of differentiated thyroid cancer. Along with the follicular type, they constitute the most common causes of thyroid cancer. A differentiated thyroid cancer closely resembles the cells from which it originates, this means they are less agressive. The less cells resemble the cells they originate, the more aggressive or undifferentiated. 

    In this case, they are very close to the original thyroid cells. They tend to grow slow and more aggressive versions often have lymph node metastasis. This means they can travel to the lymph glands that surround the thyroid.

    Depending on the size, they can be treated with total or partial (hemi) thyroidectomy(removal of the thyroid). Papillary cancers smaller that 1cm are called micropapillary cancers, this group can be treated with hemithyroidectomy confidently when it is under 7mm. There is controversy and no clear recommendation as to how to treat tumours that are between 7-10mm, some say partial thyroidectomy is enough, other do not agree. I recommend total thyroidectomy for this group.

    Most surgeons agree that papillary cancers that are above 1cm should have a total thyroidectomy.

    Surgery is for most patients curative, although some patients would require radioactive iodine therapy as well.

    There will be some surgeons as myself that would do also a lymph node dissection at the same time the total thyroidectomy is performed.

    Always seek the opinion of a general surgeon who has specialised in endocrine(thyroid) surgery prior to decide what is the best treatment for you. Endocrine surgeons have high volume of thyroid surgery, thus the complication rate is minimal, making surgery extremely safe.

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