Should thyroid cancer be removed?

Whether thyroid cancer needs to be removed depends mainly on the stage of thyroid cancer, pathological type and the patient's physical condition. If it is early-stage papillary thyroid cancer and there is no lymph node metastasis, surgical treatment is usually not required and regular checkups are sufficient. However, if it is mid-to-late stage papillary thyroid cancer or undifferentiated cancer, or there is lymph node metastasis, timely surgical treatment is recommended.

1. Early stage papillary thyroid cancer: For stage I papillary thyroid cancer, that is, tumor diameter is less than 4cm and there is no lymph node metastasis, surgery is generally not required. Regular check-ups are done according to the doctor's advice. This is because papillary thyroid cancer is in the early stages and will not metastasize to distant sites.

2. Mid- to late-stage papillary thyroid cancer: For stage II-III papillary thyroid cancer, that is, tumor diameter is between 4-6cm, or there is lymph node metastasis, timely surgical treatment is recommended. Because at this time, papillary thyroid cancer is already in the mid- to late-stage, and local spread and distant metastasis may occur. If surgical treatment is not performed in time, the condition may worsen further;

3. Undifferentiated cancer: For undifferentiated thyroid cancer, surgical treatment is required regardless of the stage. Because this type of cancer is highly malignant, it is easy to metastasize to distant sites even in the early stages. Therefore, it is recommended that patients undergo surgical treatment as soon as possible;

4. Lymph node metastasis: If the patient's thyroid cancer has lymph node metastasis, timely surgical treatment is also required. Because thyroid cancer is already in the advanced stage at this time, if surgical treatment is not performed in time, the condition may worsen further.

For patients with different stages of thyroid cancer, there are certain differences in whether resection is needed. Therefore, it is recommended that patients go to the hospital for treatment and let the doctor make a judgment based on the specific situation.