The 5-year relative survival rate for regional papillary thyroid cancer is 99%. For regional follicular cancer, the rate is 98%, and for regional medullary cancer, the rate is 92%.
The five-year survival rate for localized thyroid cancer is about 99.9 percent. Regional cancer has spread from the thyroid area to nearby lymph nodes. The five-year survival rate for regional thyroid cancer is about 98.3 percent. Distant cancer has spread to structures that are further away from the thyroid.
Papillary thyroid cancers
More than 85 out of every 100 men (more than 85%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they are diagnosed. Almost 95 out of 100 women (almost 95%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they are diagnosed.
A diagnosis of any kind of cancer is concerning, but there's good news! Because most thyroid cancer develops more slowly than other kinds of cancer, it is highly treatable In fact, the chance of surviving 20 years after diagnosis of the most common type, papillary thyroid carcinoma, is 98%.
It's usually a slow-moving disease. There's a 98 to 99 percent survival rate at 20 years,” he says. “We treat it almost like a chronic condition where the patient gets treatment and visits her doctor regularly for follow-up.”
The 5-year relative survival rate for thyroid cancer in the United States is 98%. The survival rates for thyroid cancer vary based on several factors.
Most people do very well after treatment, but follow-up care is very important since most thyroid cancers grow slowly and can recur even 10 to 20 years after initial treatment.
Anaplastic thyroid cancer is one of the most aggressive and fastest-growing types of cancer. It can grow and spread rapidly in a matter of weeks. About 50% of people with ATC have metastasis (cancer spread) in distant areas of their body at diagnosis.
With thyroid cancer, you're not in a race to remove the tumor as soon as possible. Except for the most aggressive thyroid cancers (such as anaplastic thyroid cancer), these cancers are typically slow-growing. Even when the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, there's generally not an urgent need for surgery.
Well-differentiated tumors (papillary thyroid cancer and follicular thyroid cancer) can be treated and can usually be cured. Poorly differentiated and undifferentiated tumors (anaplastic thyroid cancer) are less common. These tumors grow and spread quickly and have a poorer chance of recovery.
Chemotherapy is not usually used to treat thyroid cancer. You might have this treatment for a type of thyroid cancer called anaplastic thyroid cancer. You might also have chemotherapy as part of a clinical trial. Your doctor will discuss chemotherapy with you if they think it can help you.
The vast majority of thyroid cancers, even ones that have spread, however, are very treatable. The first step towards a cure after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer is to have an expert evaluation and work-up to determine the best thyroid surgery and treatment plan to cure you.
Thyroid Diseases
It makes hormones that control the way the body uses energy. These hormones affect nearly every organ in your body and control many of your body's most important functions. For example, they affect your breathing, heart rate, weight, digestion, and moods.
Thyroid disease is common, and in some cases may require removal of your thyroid (thyroidectomy). Fortunately, you can live without your thyroid. You will need long-term thyroid hormone replacement therapy to give you the hormone your thyroid normally produces.
If your body makes too much thyroid hormone, you can develop a condition called hyperthyroidism. If your body makes too little thyroid hormone, it's called hypothyroidism. Both conditions are serious and need to be treated by your healthcare provider.
Many cases of thyroid cancer can be found early. In fact, most thyroid cancers are now found much earlier than in the past and can be treated successfully. Most early thyroid cancers are found when patients see their doctors because of neck lumps or nodules they noticed.
Researchers found that papillary thyroid cancers of any size that are confined to the thyroid gland are unlikely to result in death due to the cancer. Specifically, the 20-year survival rate was estimated to be 97% for those who did not receive treatment and 99% for those who did.
About thyroid cancer
The most common symptom of cancer of the thyroid is a painless lump or swelling that develops in the neck. Other symptoms only tend to occur after the condition has reached an advanced stage, and may include: unexplained hoarseness that lasts for more than a few weeks.
Thyroid cancer is the ninth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, and it is estimated that one in 80 people will be diagnosed by the time they are 85.
When thyroid cells grow abnormally, they can cause thyroid cancer. But because symptoms are vague and may mimic other less-serious conditions, it's possible you could have thyroid cancer for months or even years without knowing it.
Most patients with thyroid cancer have the cancer contained in the thyroid at the time of diagnosis. About 30% will have metastatic cancer, with most having spread of the cancer to the lymph nodes in the neck and only 1-4% having spread of the cancer outside of the neck to other organs such as the lungs and bone.
Most papillary thyroid cancers are small and respond well to treatment, even if the cancer cells spread to the lymph nodes in the neck. A small portion of papillary thyroid cancers are aggressive and may grow to involve structures in the neck or spread to other areas of the body.
Most thyroid cancers can be treated successfully. But advanced cancers can be hard to treat, especially if they do not respond to radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy.
Age. Thyroid cancer can occur at any age, but about two-thirds of all cases are found in people between the ages of 20 and 55. Anaplastic thyroid cancer is usually diagnosed after age 60.