Does thyroid cancer require surgical treatment?

The statement that thyroid cancer does not require surgical treatment is incorrect. Most thyroid cancers require surgical treatment because thyroid cancer is a malignant tumor. If surgical resection is not performed, the disease may develop further and pose a certain threat to the patient's life. Clinically, thyroid cancer is not treated surgically, mainly in papillary thyroid cancer, follicular thyroid cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, and anaplastic thyroid cancer.

1. Papillary thyroid cancer: It is the most common thyroid cancer, accounting for about 80% of all thyroid cancers. It is less malignant and most patients have no symptoms. If the tumor is large, it will compress or invade surrounding tissues, causing symptoms such as difficulty swallowing and hoarseness. Early stage papillary thyroid cancer can be treated surgically, such as total thyroidectomy, lymph node dissection, etc.

2. Follicular thyroid cancer: It accounts for 10%-20% of thyroid cancers. It is less malignant and common in young women. It can be manifested as nodules in the neck and a foreign body sensation in the throat. Ultrasound examination can reveal calcification inside the lesion and rich blood flow signals. If there is no distant metastasis, surgical treatment can be adopted, such as thyroid lobe and isthmus resection, total thyroidectomy, etc.

3. Medullary thyroid cancer: It accounts for about 10% of thyroid cancers. It refers to a malignant tumor originating from the parafollicular cells of the thyroid gland. It is highly malignant. Most patients will have a lump in the neck, accompanied by symptoms such as hoarseness and difficulty swallowing. If the tumor is large or has distant metastasis, surgical treatment is required under the guidance of a doctor, such as total thyroidectomy, lymph node dissection, etc.

4. Anaplastic thyroid cancer: It refers to a malignant tumor originating from the parafollicular cells of the thyroid gland, accounting for about 3%-6% of all thyroid cancers. Due to the high degree of malignancy of anaplastic thyroid cancer, even in the early stages of anaplastic thyroid cancer, surgical treatment is usually required under the guidance of a doctor, such as total thyroidectomy, lymph node dissection, etc.