Will papillary thyroid cancer metastasize? How to make a prognosis for papillary thyroid cancer?

Papillary thyroid cancer is a very scary disease. If it is not treated promptly and effectively, the consequences are very serious and may even lead to death. So, will papillary thyroid cancer metastasize? Let's take a closer look.

Thyroid cancer can metastasize. Most cases of thyroid cancer will metastasize to lymph nodes and cervical lymph nodes. The most common metastatic sites are lymph nodes around the trachea and thyroid gland, which we clinically call central lymph node metastasis.

Transfer

Thyroid cancer is generally divided into four categories, namely papillary carcinoma, follicular carcinoma, medullary carcinoma, and undifferentiated carcinoma. Relatively speaking, papillary carcinoma and medullary carcinoma are more likely to metastasize to lymph nodes, and the overall average metastasis rate of papillary carcinoma is 50% to 70%. Of course, the lymph node metastasis rate of early patients is not so high. The metastasis rate of medullary carcinoma is higher, and the lymph node metastasis rate is mostly above 80%. Follicular carcinoma is more likely to metastasize to the blood, and undifferentiated carcinoma is also more likely to metastasize to the blood.

Prognosis

Generally speaking, the prognosis of thyroid cancer is good compared to other malignant tumors, and it is still considered to be of low malignancy among systemic malignant tumors. However, thyroid cancer is also divided into several categories, and some have a poor prognosis, such as anaplastic thyroid cancer, which has a relatively poor prognosis. Only on the basis of timely and regular treatment can a relatively good prognosis be achieved.

However, lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer is not terrible. Generally speaking, lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer does not affect the patient's prognosis. Thyroid cancer can also metastasize throughout the body, and the most common sites of metastasis are lungs and bones.