Medullary thyroid cancer: Prognosis, life expectancy and survival

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Medullary thyroid cancer is a rare form of thyroid cancer, accounting for 5% of thyroid cancers. Detecting medullary thyroid cancer early can be difficult. Undiagnosed medullary thyroid cancer can spread into the tissues of other organs and eventually to the liver, lungs, bones, and brain. The following information will provide insights into the prognosis, life expectancy, and survival of medullary thyroid cancer.

1. Medullary thyroid cancer

Medullary thyroid cancer usually progresses from the thyroid gland into the lymph nodes. They have the ability to metastasize to other tissues and organs in the body. When this condition occurs, thyroid cancer treatment is impossible and the patient will die.
The earlier medullary thyroid cancer is detected, the better the prognosis and the possibility of successful treatment. However, unfortunately, in the early stages of tumors, they do not show obvious symptoms, making the patient mistaken for some other disease.
Noticeable signs such as hoarseness, difficulty swallowing or sore throat when swallowing or feeling like something is blocking the throat usually appear when the tumor has formed and grown
1.1 Common symptoms of medullary thyroid cancer Although the symptoms of medullary thyroid cancer vary from person to person, here are some of the most common signs that this disease brings:
A small lump in the neck right next to the thyroid gland. This tumor can be detected through a physical examination during a routine physical examination. In general, nodules in the thyroid or neck are usually benign, but they can also be a warning sign that patients should have more tests to make an accurate diagnosis of medullary thyroid cancer.

Neck pain: Pain in the front of the neck may be related to the growth of a thyroid tumor. In many cases, the patient may experience pain to the jaw or ear. Hoarseness: The nerve in charge of the vocal cords in the body runs along the windpipe near the thyroid gland. If the tumor has spread to the vocal cords, they can make the patient hoarse, making it difficult to speak. Cough: Thyroid cancer causes a persistent cough that is not related to a cold, sore throat or any other respiratory problem. Difficulty swallowing: When thyroid tumors become large enough, they press on the esophagus leading to difficulty swallowing. Shortness of breath: Similar to the esophagus, when medullary thyroid tumors are large enough, they compress the trachea, obstructing breathing, and making the patient feel short of breath.
1.2 Other signs and symptoms of medullary thyroid cancer These are unusual, rare signs in cases of medullary thyroid cancer that need attention. These include:
Severe diarrhea: This is a very rare symptom in people with medullary thyroid cancer when the tumor increases the levels of calcitonin – a hormone that causes severe diarrhea. Cushing's syndrome: In rare cases, the tumor prevents the thyroid gland from producing enough hormone, when the pituitary gland begins to produce TSH, a thyroid-stimulating hormone, and thyroid hormone. Adrenal ACTH causes Cushing's syndrome. Red face: A red face accompanied by a burning sensation in the neck or chest may be caused by an overgrowth of medullary thyroid nodules. To feed cancer cells, the blood vessels in the head, chest and neck must work continuously to ensure that the metabolism takes place, causing the temperature in that area to rise abnormally.

Bone pain: Bone pain occurs when cancer cells have spread to and damaged the bone. Fatigue, irritability: People with cancer in general and medullary thyroid cancer in particular always feel tired both physically and mentally, leading to irritability with those around them. The causes of fatigue in cancer are complex and not yet elucidated. Weight loss: Like fatigue and irritability, abnormal weight loss is also a symptom of advanced medullary thyroid cancer and metastasis to other organs. Experts recommend that if you experience any of the above symptoms, especially if you have a family history of thyroid cancer, quickly seek medical attention so that cancer can be detected early. thereby improving the effectiveness of treatment.

2. Prognosis, life expectancy and survival of medullary thyroid cancer

According to one reliable study, the survival rate for medullary thyroid cancer for 10 years or longer is about 75%. However, the survival time of the patient depends on the age and stage of the tumor.
Younger people with medullary thyroid cancer often respond better to treatment and have a higher cure rate than older people. According to research by the International Cancer Network, people aged 40 and younger who are diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer have a 5- and 10-year survival rate of 95% and 75%, respectively. Meanwhile, this rate in the group of over 40 years old is only 65% ​​and 50% respectively.
The prognosis is poor when the cancer has entered the metastatic stage to other tissues and organs, so early diagnosis is the key to improving the treatment of medullary thyroid cancer.

Below are statistics on prognosis by stage of the disease:
Stage 1: This stage has the best prognosis when the tumor is less than 2 cm in diameter and has not grown beyond the thyroid gland. 100% of people diagnosed and treated from stage 1 can live for at least 10 years. Stage 2: At this stage, the tumor has grown to more than 2 cm in diameter but is still within the thyroid gland or has not spread to the lymph nodes. About 93% of people diagnosed and treated from this stage are alive for at least 10 years. Stage 3: The tumor has grown and spread to the lymph nodes near the thyroid gland. About 71% of people detected and treated from stage 3 can live at least 10 more years. Stage 4: In this stage, the tumor has spread to tissues under the skin, trachea, esophagus, larynx, and some more distant organs such as the lungs or bones. It is estimated that only about 21% of patients detected and treated at this stage are still alive after 10 years. Distant metastatic stage: This is the final stage of medullary thyroid cancer. Cancer cells have followed the blood and metastasized to most organs of the body including lungs, bones, brain... Patients at this stage also cannot be cured, chemotherapy or radiation methods. Treatment is only about slowing the growth of cancer cells and prolonging life as long as possible. Medullary thyroid cancer is one of the rarest types of thyroid cancer. Medullary thyroid cancer in the early stages appears silently and does not show too many symptoms, making it easy for patients to mistake it for other diseases. The prognosis and survival time of people with medullary thyroid cancer depends on the age and stage of the tumor, but in general about 75% of people with medullary thyroid cancer can live for at least 10 more years. Cancer that has metastasized into the blood to the lungs, brain, bones, ... will not be curable, so early detection and diagnosis of medullary thyroid cancer is the most effective measure to increase the likelihood of cure. for the patient.

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