Doctor Interviews
67: Molecular Profiling and Unnecessary Thyroid Surgeries with Jennifer Kuo from Columbia University
One-third of all thyroid nodule fine needle aspirations come back indeterminate. When surgery is performed on these cases, pathology of the thyroid reveals that many times the nodule is benign. Through molecular profiling, patients with indeterminate thyroid nodules, can now avoid unnecessary surgery and get more accurate pathology results from the fine needle aspiration.
Are you a patient and your doctor has said your thyroid nodule is indeterminate and is recommending surgery as an option? The key is, to confirm that molecular profiling was performed.
Jennifer Kuo, MD is Director of the Thyroid Biopsy Program, Director of the Endocrine Surgery Research Program, and Instructor in Surgery, at the Columbia University Medical Center.
66: New Research Reveals Thyroid Surgery Errors 5x More Frequent Than Reported with Dr. Maria Papaleontiou from Michigan Medicine
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.
65: Thyroid Surgery? Be Careful, Not All Surgeons Are Equal and Here is Why with Dr. Ralph P. Tufano from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
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
64: 1 in 3 People Die With Thyroid Cancer — Not From with Dr. Seth Landefeld from UAB
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.
63: Diagnosed With Thyroid Cancer? Stop & Do Not Rush Into Surgery – Dr. Bryan McIver – Moffitt Cancer Center
If your thyroid cancer is not aggressive, taking your time, and vetting surgeons and exploring treatment options is your best choice. Bryan McIver, MD, PhD
62: The Financial Risk of Thyroid Surgery → Dr. Jonas de Souza – Oncologist, Medical Director at Humana
Death rate of papillary thyroid cancer is less than .001%, however, thyroid cancer surgery results in job loss or unemployment in 40% of patients. Jonas