What items should be done for regular checkups for thyroid cancer without surgery

The purpose of regular follow-up for thyroid cancer without surgery is to detect thyroid cancer early in order to achieve better treatment results. There are greater risks in the conservative treatment of thyroid cancer without surgery, so regular follow-up is particularly important. The content of the follow-up includes thyroid function tests, color ultrasound, enhanced CT, MRI, pathological examination, and thyroid function suppression tests.

1. Thyroid function test: Check the thyroid hormone level, thyroid stimulating hormone level, etc. to determine whether the patient's condition has changed. If the thyroid hormone level is too high, it indicates that the tumor has metastasized. It is recommended that patients who have undergone surgery should have their thyroid function checked regularly while taking levothyroxine sodium tablets;

2. Color Doppler Ultrasound: If color doppler ultrasound examination finds nodules in the thyroid gland, and there are blood flow signals or calcification, it indicates a malignant tendency. Patients who have undergone surgery are recommended to have regular follow-up examinations.

3. Enhanced CT: Enhanced CT examination can further clarify the size, location and adjacent relationship of the tumor, and whether lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis occurs. If metastasis occurs, radioactive iodine-131 treatment can be performed;

4. Magnetic resonance imaging: Magnetic resonance imaging is the preferred imaging method for confirming thyroid cancer before surgery. It can effectively determine the pathological type of thyroid cancer and whether there is lymph node metastasis, etc. It is also helpful for the patient's recovery after surgery.

5. Pathological examination: Pathological examination is used to clarify the nature of the lesion. If it is a malignant tumor, regular follow-up examinations are particularly important for patients who need surgical treatment. The results of pathological examinations can generally show the degree of differentiation and invasion range of tumor cells, and accurately determine whether the patient needs further treatment;

6. Thyroid function suppression test: It mainly detects the secretion of thyroid hormone to determine whether the thyroid function is suppressed. It can help determine the effectiveness of suppression treatment after thyroid cancer surgery.

In addition to the relatively common causes mentioned above, there are other possible diseases, such as tumor metastasis to the lungs or other parts of the body, which can cause symptoms such as coughing and difficulty breathing, and need to be differentiated from thyroid cancer.