A 54-year-old woman discovered she had thyroid cancer based on symptoms many Vietnamese people overlook.

GĐXH - Ms. Hien noticed a lump in her neck but thought it was a benign inflamed lymph node that would go away on its own in a few days. However, two weeks later, the lump grew larger and became painful to the touch, so she went to the hospital for examination and was diagnosed with early-stage papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Thinking she had swollen lymph nodes, the woman went for a check-up and was diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

According to information from Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Ms. Hien had a lump in her neck nearly a month prior to the incident. Initially, she thought it was a benign inflamed lymph node that would disappear on its own after a few days. Two weeks later, the lump grew larger and became painful to the touch, so she went to the hospital for examination.

On March 19th, Dr. Phan Vu Hong Hai, Head of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery Department, stated that Ms. Hien's ultrasound results revealed a multinodular goiter with benign thyroid nodules, TIRADS grade 2, including one 3 cm nodule suspected of having internal bleeding and causing pain.

Specifically, in the thyroid isthmus (the area just in front of the neck, at the back of the thyroid gland, above the trachea and below the larynx), there is a nodule measuring 14×9 mm, classified as TIRADS 3. TIRADS is a classification system for thyroid gland lesions, used to assess the risk of malignancy in thyroid tumors. TIRADS 1-3 are considered benign, TIRADS 4 indicates malignancy, and TIRADS 5-6 indicate a high risk of malignancy.

The surgeon removed the thyroid lobe containing the nodules from the patient. Photo: Provided by the hospital.

According to Dr. Hai, Ms. Hien's case is most likely a benign thyroid nodule, requiring only surgical removal; some small nodules may not even need surgery. However, some nodules have characteristics suggestive of malignancy, such as solid nodules with internal calcification. Therefore, the doctor decided to surgically remove one lobe of the thyroid gland and a partial removal of the remaining lobe to completely remove the nodule and reduce the risk of large nodules recurring later.

In just over two hours, Dr. Hai and his team carefully dissected the thyroid gland containing the nodules and removed the nodules in the isthmus region. The nerves and blood vessels were preserved. After the surgery, the patient recovered quickly, experiencing no complications such as hoarseness or numbness in her hands and feet. She was discharged two days later.

The pathology results after one week revealed that the thyroid parenchyma contained multiple colloid nodules ranging in size from 0.5 cm to 3 cm, including one very small, malignant nodule measuring only 3 mm, diagnosed as early-stage papillary follicular carcinoma.

According to Dr. Hai, the detection of papillary thyroid carcinoma with follicular variant highlights the importance of post-operative histopathological evaluation, even when prior imaging does not clearly suggest malignancy. Surgery helps remove the malignant lesion while preserving a portion of the thyroid gland, helping the patient avoid complications from complete hypothyroidism.

In this case, the patient's prognosis is very favorable, especially when there is no evidence of metastasis or invasion. However, the patient still needs regular monitoring to detect early signs of recurrence or the appearance of new lesions in the remaining portion of the thyroid gland.

What can be done to prevent thyroid cancer?

According to Dr. Le Thi Ngoc Hang, MSc, Specialist in Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, thyroid cancer occurs when a malignant tumor appears in the thyroid gland. The disease is divided into four types: papillary thyroid cancer, follicular thyroid cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, and undifferentiated thyroid cancer. Ms. Hien has papillary thyroid carcinoma with follicular variant, which has a good prognosis. With aggressive treatment, the 5-year survival rate is over 98%.

Early-stage thyroid cancer often has no symptoms, and patients may discover it incidentally during a routine health check-up with an ultrasound or other medical examination. Some patients may experience symptoms such as a palpable lump in the neck, shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, pain when swallowing, hoarseness or changes in voice, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and painless swelling in the front of the neck.

Therefore, when these symptoms appear, it is necessary to seek medical attention early to optimize treatment and reduce the recurrence rate. Individuals with risk factors including family history, personal history of thyroid disorders (goiter, thyroiditis, Graves' disease, hypothyroidism, etc.), iodine deficiency, regular alcohol consumption, smoking, overweight or obesity, etc., should undergo regular thyroid cancer screening.

To prevent thyroid cancer, everyone should maintain a diet rich in green vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, and fiber; limit canned foods and unhealthy fats; ensure adequate iodine intake; avoid alcohol and tobacco; increase physical activity; have regular health checkups; and follow treatment protocols if diagnosed with cancer.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/nguoi-phu-nu-54-tuoi-phat-hien-ung-thu-tuyen-giap-tu-dau-hieu-nhieu-nguoi-viet-bo-qua-172250319095638187.htm