Treatment and care of people with cancer is usually provided by a team of health professionals, both medical and allied health, called a multidisciplinary team.

Treatment for thyroid cancer depends on the stage of the disease, the severity of symptoms and your general health. A combination of treatments is often used.

Surgery

Surgery is the main treatment for most thyroid cancers[1]. Surgery may remove the affected part of the thyroid gland (lobectomy), or all of the thyroid gland (thyroidectomy). If the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the neck, these will be removed in the same surgery procedure[2].

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy can include taking a pill that contains radioactive substances (radioactive iodine therapy). These radioactive substances are absorbed by the thyroid cells and thyroid cancer cells[3]. Radiation therapy can also be done from outside the body, using a machine to deliver high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells or slow their growth (external beam radiation therapy)[4].

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy refers to treatment with medicines that are designed to specifically attack cancer cells with less harm to normal cells. Targeted therapy can be helpful when surgery and radioactive iodine therapy haven’t worked.

These medicines target proteins that help cancer cells multiply, form new blood vessels and grow. Different medicines are used to treat the different types of thyroid cancer. Medicines include multikinase inhibitors and RET inhibotors  and other targets, e.g. TRK. Currently used medicinces include cabozantinib, dabrafenib, entrectinib, lenvatinib, sorafenib and trametinib[5].

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is not effective on its own to treat thyroid cancer. It may be used to treat cancers that were not killed by radioactive iodine treatment.

Thyroid hormone therapy

Thyroid hormone therapy is used after the thyroid gland has been removed. It involves taking medicines to replace the hormones that the body can no longer produce after the surgery[6]. This helps maintain the body’s normal function and may help lower the risk of the cancer coming back[7].

Research is ongoing to find new ways to diagnose and treat different types of cancer. Some people may be offered the option of participation in a clinical trial to test new ways of treating thyroid cancer.