Episode Archive
94: Everything You Need to Know About Thyroid Nodules with Dr. Regina Castro from Mayo Clinic
60% of people in the U.S. have thyroid nodules, and almost all are benign — the others maybe reason for concern. M. Regina Castro, MD
93: Has anything changed in the past 50 years of treating thyroid disease? (including thyroid cancer) The answer is yes. → Dr. Leonard Wartofsky from MedStar
Thyroid replacement therapy has been around since 1891, when patients were served sheep thyroid tartar. Now, patients have the convenience of a taking a simple
90: The Results of 30 Years of Patients Receiving Active Surveillance Instead of Surgery → Dr. Akira Miyauchi from Kuma Hospital in Kobe, Japan
The result of over 1000 cases of active surveillance shows no resulting deaths of patients who choose no surgery for thyroid cancer Dr. Akira Miyauchi
06: A Must Listen Episode Before Getting Surgery – Do Not Do It Alone, with Douglas Van Nostrand from MedStar Washington Hospital
Dr. Douglas Van Nostrand, MD is the Director of Nuclear Medicine and the Program Director of the Nuclear Medicine Residency Program at Washington Hospital Center and Professor of Medicine, Georgetown University Hospital Center.
55: Thyroid Cancer Treatment and Surgery Explained⎥Dr. Gerard Doherty from Harvard Medical School
* Imaging has increased thyroid nodule discovery.
* Following patients with small thyroid cancer ? analogous to prostate cancer. Better followed than treated.
* Tiny thyroid cancers can be defined by those nodules less than 1/4 inch in size.
* Less RAI is being used as a part of thyroid cancer treatment. This means, less need to do total thyroidectomy or thyroid lobectomy.
* Dry mouth and dry eyes are risks to doing RAI. Also, there is risk to developing a second malignancy. Most of the secondary cancers are leukemia.
* Risks to operation include changes to voice and calcium levels. Thyroid surgery is a safe operation but not risk free.
* Best question for a patient to ask is, who is my treatment team?
43: A Summary of Radioactive Iodine Treatment for Thyroid Cancer, with Dr. Alan Waxman from Cedars Sinai
Not all thyroid cancer patients who receive a thyroidectomy require radioactive iodine, but for those whose cancer maybe more aggressive and spread beyond the thyroid area, often radioactive iodine (RAI) is protocol.
RAI treatment may vary depending on the hospital.
In this interview, Dr. Alan Waxman explains what occurs leading up to, during, and after RAI. Topics discussed include:
If staying at the hospital after taking RAI, how long is the stay required?
Should you go home after RAI?
What is the benefit of staying overnight at the hospital when receiving RAI?
Worldwide trends toward prescribing lower doses of RAI.
Is there risk in RAI causing leukemia?