Treatment
Quite simply, the cancer is treated with surgery or radioactive iodine (rather than chemotherapy or radiation therapy). In surgery they will take out all or a part of the thyroid gland (it depends on how severe the case). Radioactive iodine is basically just "poisoned" iodine (iodine is a chemical element that the thyroid gland uses as "food"). This "poisoned" iodine is obviously bad for the thyroid gland, but when cancer is present, it kills off both the cancerous cells and the healthy cells. The treatment all depends on the patient: how young/old they are, type of cancer, how severe the case is, and how far it has spread. In cases where the cancer has spread, the lymph nodes (organs in the immune system) might be removed as well. |
Prevention
Since this type of cancer is genetic it is not possible to prevent this cancer other than by getting a genetic test to see if you have an increased chance of getting it. If a risk is found, the thyroid gland can be removed to prevent the cancer from occurring at all. |