Thyroid Cancer

Key Staff

Consultants/Surgeons

Mr Paul Dent, Consultant Endocrine & Thyroid Surgeon
Mr Georgios Oikonomou, Consultant Head & Neck Surgeon
Dr Nelesh Jeyadevan, Consultant Radiologist

Working hours: Monday-Friday 9.00 - 17.00

Tel 020 8401 3978 Email ch-tr.ent@nhs.net

About thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer is cancer that's found in the thyroid gland.

The thyroid gland is a small gland in the front, lower part of your neck. It makes and releases hormones that help with things like your digestion, muscles and heart. Thyroid cancer is quite rare in the UK. Women are more likely to get it than men.

What are the tests to confirm the diagnosis?

If a GP refers you to a specialist because they think you could have cancer, you'll have tests to check for cancer .

Tests you may include:

blood tests
an ultrasound scan of your neck
Taking a small sample from your thyroid gland using a needle ( biopsy )
You may not have all these tests.

For more information on diagnostic test: Macmillan information: A-Z Diagnostic tests

What treatment are available?

If you've been told you have cancer, you may need more tests. The results of these tests can show the stage/extend of your cancer, and if the cancer has been caused by certain changes in your genes Thyroid cancer is often treatable.

The treatment you have will depend on:

the size and type of thyroid cancer you have
if it has spread
your general health

It will usually include surgery and also can include hormone therapy, radioactive iodine treatment , targeted medicines , radiotherapy or chemotherapy .

The specialist care team looking after you will:

explain the treatments, benefits and side effects
work with you to create a treatment plan that's best for you
help you manage any side effects

You'll have regular check-ups during and after any treatments. You may also have tests and scans.

Treatments are offered in collaboration with St George’s Hospital Trust and the Royal Marsden Hospital.

If you have any questions or worries, you can talk to your specialist team.

More information about Thyroid cancer - symptoms, types, treatment options | Macmillan Cancer Support

Macmillan information: Making treatment decisions

Macmillan information: A-Z treatments- drugs

Macmillan information: After Treatment

Personalised Cancer Care

Personalised cancer care allows you to take an active role in the way your care is planned and delivered by identifying your concerns and support needs. It puts you in control of your care, with our help.

There are lots of things you can do to look after your own health during and after cancer treatment. Some of this can be done with the involvement of your clinical team, such as physical activity and dietary modifications

Here are the key elements of personalised care for our cancer patients:

Personalised Assessment and Care Planning
Access to health and wellbeing information and support
End of treatment summaries to support you with understanding and managing impacts of cancer– also shared with your GP so they can support you.
Stratified Follow up when you have finished treatment or are living with cancer.

Read the Personalised Cancer Care Guide for newly diagnosed patients at Croydon Health Services.

Also available in Arabic , Bengali , Bulgarian , French , Gujarati , Polish , Portuguese , Punjabi , Romanian , Somali , Spanish , Tamil , Urdu.