A fine needle aspiration (FNA) of Ms. Bich's left thyroid lobe confirmed papillary thyroid cancer. According to Associate Professor Doctor Vu Huu Vinh, Director of the Thoracic - Vascular Surgery Center at Tam Anh General Hospital TP HCM, this is a common type of cancer, typically slow-growing, with a good treatment prognosis. Given the patient's good health and absence of underlying conditions, the medical team opted for open surgery to perform a total thyroidectomy, eradicating the tumor.

The surgical team made a small incision in the neck, separating muscle layers to expose the thyroid gland. Using a magnifying glass and an ultrasonic hemostatic scalpel, the surgeons dissected the lesion, taking care to minimize damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which controls the patient's voice, to prevent postoperative hoarseness.

Surgeons carefully separated the thyroid gland from surrounding neck structures and performed a neck dissection to mitigate the risk of metastasis. The small, pea-sized parathyroid glands located behind the thyroid and their vascular supply were preserved to maintain blood calcium regulation, preventing numbness, tingling, and spasms caused by hypocalcemia after surgery.

The surgical team removed Ms. Bich's entire thyroid gland to eradicate the cancer. *Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital*

Postoperatively, Ms. Bich recovered quickly with no hoarseness. She continued treatment with radioactive iodine (I-131) to eliminate any remaining cancer cells and reduce the risk of recurrence.

According to Associate Professor Vinh, to compensate for the removed thyroid function, patients need to maintain hormone replacement therapy to control thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and prevent the growth of malignant cells.

Globocan 2022 data indicates that Vietnam recorded over 6,100 cases of thyroid cancer, with more than 850 deaths. The incidence rate is higher in women than in men.

Master Doctor Phan Vu Hong Hai, from the Thoracic - Vascular Surgery Center at Tam Anh General Hospital TP HCM, noted that early-stage thyroid cancer tends to develop silently. When symptoms such as an unusual lump in the neck, persistent hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, or shortness of breath appear, the disease is already in an advanced stage, making treatment more complex and costly.

Doctor Hai recommends that high-risk individuals, such as those with a family history of the disease, past exposure to neck radiation, or living in areas with radioactive contamination or iodine deficiency, should undergo regular health check-ups and thyroid ultrasounds for early detection and timely treatment of any abnormalities.

Bao Anh

*Patient's name has been changed