Thyroid Micro-Papillary Cancer: There is a Third Option to Surgery or Observation and Ultrasounds. Radiofrequency Ablation RFA.

Thyroid Micro-Papillary Cancer: There is a Third Option to Surgery or Observation and Ultrasounds AS. RFA

Dr.Guttler’s comments,

1.  Patients start AS and drop out to have surgery, fail to return for ultrasounds in 25% of the cases started on AS.
2. Few were given the option to ablate the small cancer with RFA.
3. Barriers to starting AS? Patient refuses AS.
4. They start AS but are lost to follow up after 2 years in 25%.
5. Patients worry about living with a cancer in their neck for years with AS, and needing rescue surgery if it grows, and having the tumor spread into metastatic lymph nodes.
6. They worry about the needed rescue surgery if the nodule grows or nodes are found.
7. This cancer nodule growth and node involvement causes a rescue surgery in 5-10 % at 5 years.
8. Physicians worry about malpractice.
9. Most medical society guidelines do not mention RFA even though it is a proven alternative to surgery or AS.
10. AS is safe but it is not for everyone. Yes, no patient one AS has died of cancer but thyroid cancer rarely kills but it can be an on going worry for patient left with the cancer still in their neck.
11. Surgery is not safe due to 16% temporary and 1.5% permanent hypocalcemia with a total removal, and less but still significant complication risk with a lobectomy.
12. RFA has very low serious complications and is safe done under local Lidocaine anesthesia.
13. Call me at 310-393-8860 or thyroid.manager@thyroid.com for details of my evaluation and treatment with RFA.
14. Ask for Alicia.
15. Dr.G.