Other Cancers

Thyroid disease affects 27 million Americans, more than the number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes and cancer combined, according to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be approximately 37,200 new cases of thyroid cancer diagnosed in the United States in 2009, and of these new cases, over 70% will be women.

The prognosis for most thyroid cancer patients is very good, but the rate of recurrence can be up to 30% (recurrence means that the cancer has come back after treatment). Recurrent thyroid cancer usually returns in the neck, but it may reappear in another part of the body, and it can return decades later, according to the Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association.

The ability to detect and treat thyroid cancer recurrence early is critically important, and that's where PET scanning can help.

Early Detection and Diagnosis

Many patients in the early stages of thyroid cancer have no symptoms. As the cancer progresses, symptoms may include a lump or nodule in the front of the neck, hoarseness, neck or throat pain, enlarged lymph nodes, and/or difficulty swallowing, breathing, or speaking may occur.

Click here for the "Neck Check" (by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists)

There are four types of thyroid cancer: Papillary, Follicular, Medullary and Anaplastic, and most are highly curable with proper treatment. (Click here for detailed information about different types of thyroid cancer.)

PET Scanning may help by evaluating the cancer and determining the stage of the cancer, so the most appropriate therapy and treatment can be prescribed. (For detailed information about staging thyroid cancer, click here.)

While radioactive iodine scans are the most commonly used method of treating and monitoring thyroid cancer, differentiated thyroid cancer cells may transform over time and lose some or all of their ability to absorb radioactive iodine. These cells may, however, still be able to absorb FDG (used with PET scans), which could suggest thyroid cancer cells. Consult your physician if you have questions or need specific information about therapy and treatment of thyroid cancer.

In addition to early detection of thyroid cancer recurrence, PET scans can "significantly impact the treatment and diagnosis of persons suffering from thyroid cancer," according to a recent study published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. In the study, 64 thyroid cancer patients with negative radioactive iodine scans and elevated human thyroglobulin (hTg) levels had PET scans, and based on their PET scan results, treatment was changed for 32 patients (18 received additional surgery and 14 received either radioactive iodine therapy or external irradiation).

Detecting recurrence early and getting proper treatment are key to thyroid cancer survivors - and PET Scans can help.

Call the PET centers nearest you if you would like to discuss whether PET scanning could be helpful in your care.

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Find the Support You Need

Thyroid cancer is a devastating disease. Several organizations provide information and support to survivors and their families, including:

American Cancer Society
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
American Thyroid Association
Endocrine Disorders and Endocrine Surgery
National Graves' Disease Foundation
Thyroid Foundation of America
Thyroid Foundation of Canada