Every year, about 42,000 people are diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and about 2,000 people die from the disease.
Cancer can form in the thyroid gland, an organ at the base of the neck that produces hormones that help control heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and weight. There are four main types of thyroid cancer: papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic. Papillary and follicular are the most common of the thyroid cancers. They generally have a very good prognosis, and often can be cured. Medullary has a more variable and generally less positive prognosis. The rarest type, anaplastic, is generally very aggressive with a more negative prognosis.
Surgical removal of half the thyroid gland or the entire thyroid gland is typically the first step in treatment. Treatment with radioactive iodine (RAI) is often used after surgery when there is a larger tumor size, multiple tumors within the thyroid gland, or when the cancer has spread outside the thyroid gland into the neck and beyond. Radioactive iodine can be active for weeks or months with the goal of destroying any remaining thyroid cancer cells. When added to a thyroid cancer treatment plan, hyperthermia amplifies the chances of tumor eradication.
Using cutting-edge ultrasound technology, non-invasive targeted heat is applied to tumors over a series of sessions. The heat weakens and sometimes destroys cancer cells outright. Hyperthermia is most commonly paired with radiation therapy or chemotherapy, because the heat allows those treatments to amplify their power to kill cancer cells. However, some patients can benefit from stand-alone treatment. Hyperthermia may also boost your body’s own immune system to better fight cancerous cells.
