Podcast

Scheduled to publish next month, the statistics show thyroid surgery much less safe than thought. The findings that 12% of patients overall had thyroid surgery specific complications is concerning, but more concerning is surgeons quote a 1 to 3 percent rate of error. In the case of surgery for metastatic thyroid cancer, the error rate skyrockets to 23%. Dr. Maria Papaleontiou is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine with an appointment in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes.

If you select carefully, the unwanted errors of thyroid surgery can be avoided. Dr. Ralph P. Tufano is the Director of the Division of Head and Neck Endocrine Surgery at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and conducts thyroid and parathyroid surgery with a focus on optimizing outcomes. In this interview, items discussed include: * the emotional burden of being diagnosed with cancer and the haste that sometimes follows * the unnecessary damage of thyroid surgery, including the cutting of the laryngeal nerve resulting in vocal cord paralysis, low calcium levels and a need to supplement calcium and Vitamin D for life, and leaving residual disease behind * knowing your risk factor and finding the right medical team to address it

1 in 3 People Die With Thyroid Cancer The USPSTF upholds its 1996 recommendation against screening for thyroid cancer among asymptomatic adults. The USPSTF commissioned the systematic review due to the rising incidence of thyroid cancers against a background of stable mortality, which is suggestive of over-treatment. And in view of the results, the task force concluded with “moderate certainty” that the harms outweigh the benefits of screening.