Thyroid cancer metastasizes but has no symptoms

Mr. Tuan’s ultrasound results showed that the thyroid gland had 7 tumors, the largest size 14×11 mm, rated TIRADS 5 (cancer risk up to 87%), many swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Biopsy of the left lobe thyroid tumor and cervical lymph nodes showed papillary thyroid cancer with lymph node metastasis.

Doctor Le Ngoc Vinh, Department of Surgical Oncology, Tam Anh General Clinic, District 7, prescribed thyroidectomy and central neck lymph node dissection for Mr. Tuan.

During the surgery, the team separated the tumor from the recurrent laryngeal nerve (which governs the voice) to avoid the risk of hoarseness and permanent loss of voice, and at the same time not affect the 4 parathyroid glands.

The doctor uses an ultrasonic knife to cut and stop bleeding during the lymph node dissection process. When checking, the lymph nodes are completely cleaned, the team drains the fluid and stitches the wound, ensuring aesthetics for the patient.

After surgery, Mr. Tuan spoke normally, had no numbness in his arms and legs, could eat thin porridge, and was discharged after 12 hours. When the wound is dry, the patient continues to take radioactive iodine to eradicate the cancer. Mr. Tuan said he would stay in Vietnam to complete treatment before returning to the US.

Thyroid cancer usually has a good prognosis, even if it has metastasized to lymph nodes. However, if not treated promptly, cancer cells can invade and metastasize far to the lungs, brain…, reducing treatment effectiveness and quality of life. In the early stages, thyroid cancer is small in size and has not metastasized to lymph nodes, and the 5-year survival rate can be close to 100%. Even if the papillary form has lymph node metastasis, the 5-year survival rate is still about 99% if treated correctly, according to Dr. Vinh.

The disease often has no clear symptoms in the early stages and is mainly detected through routine health examinations or accidental ultrasounds. As it progresses, there may be a neck tumor, hoarseness or persistent lymphadenopathy.

The cause of the disease is unclear, but some risk factors include being female 25-65 years old, radiation exposure and family history of medullary thyroid cancer.

Dr. Vinh recommends that people in the risk group for thyroid cancer should have regular check-ups. Besides blood tests, an ultrasound can be used to detect abnormalities deep inside the neck. When necessary, the doctor will prescribe fine needle aspiration (FNA) to determine the nature of the tumor, or CT/MRI to evaluate the level of invasion and metastasis.