Thyroid cancer need to avoid anything?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was consulted with Dr. Tran Thi Hoang Anh - Endocrinologist - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.
A reasonable diet will greatly assist in the treatment of thyroid cancer. Smart nutrition choices will help the body be healthier, actively support in the treatment of diseases. Are you wondering what to eat and what to avoid with papillary thyroid cancer? Find the answer in the article below.

1. Papillary thyroid cancer

Before knowing what to avoid with papillary thyroid cancer, you need to better understand papillary thyroid cancer.
This is the most common type of thyroid cancer (accounting for 70-80% of all cases).
Papillary thyroid cancer begins in follicular cells, usually found on only one lobe of the thyroid gland. They are slow growing and often metastasize to the cervical lymph nodes, lungs, and bones.
The 5-year survival rate of people with papillary thyroid cancer is quite high. Detection in stage 1 is 100%, stage 2 is also close to 100%, rate 3 is 93%, stage 4 is 51%. Therefore, it can be seen that thyroid cancer is a disease with a high cure rate compared to other cancers.

2. What should papillary thyroid cancer avoid?

Many people with this disease wonder if thyroid cancer in general and thyroid cancer need to be abstained and what should be abstained?
For patients who have undergone thyroidectomy and definitive radiation therapy for cancer:
In case patients have completely removed the thyroid gland and given complete radiation therapy for thyroid cancer, they are allowed to eat and drink normally, no need to abstain from any diet. any kind of food.
Complete removal of the thyroid gland (and cure with radiotherapy) causes permanent hypothyroidism, or possibly hypoparathyroidism. Therefore, patients must take thyroid support drugs for the rest of their lives as prescribed by a specialist.
For patients who are undergoing cancer treatment:
For those who are undergoing cancer treatment, have not removed the thyroid gland, should pay attention when eating the following foods:
Soybean products : Soy products such as beans, soy milk contain substances that interfere with the regeneration of thyroid hormones, soy also reduces the absorption of iodine. However, if the soybeans have been fermented like miso, it is very good. If the patient really likes to eat, they can still eat, as long as it is at least 4 hours away from the time of taking thyroid hormone medication.
Limit foods high in fiber: It sounds absurd because fiber is very good for the digestive system, but they can partly hinder the absorption of drugs into the body. However, do not completely stop eating high-fiber foods because they are very good for the digestive system.
Avoid eating sugar: This is considered the "food" of cancer cells, sugar will help cancer thrive. Therefore, you need to avoid foods containing chemical sugars such as carbonated soft drinks, cheese cakes, sweets...
Avoid eating animal organs (heart, kidney, liver) because visceral contains a lot of food. lipoic acid (1 type of fatty acid). Too much fat can disrupt the functioning of the thyroid gland and affect the absorption of many medications you are taking.
Avoid eating cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, radish, broccoli, mustard greens...) because cruciferous vegetables contain isothiocyanates - substances that limit iodine absorption. If eating, you need to be bare or cooked to decompose this substance in vegetables, absolutely do not eat raw.
During the 2 week period before radioactive iodine treatment, patients will need to adhere to an iodine diet to achieve the best treatment effect. Specifically, abstain from iodized salt, seafood, seaweed, processed foods with salt such as sausages, smoked meat, pickled pickles. You should also not use topical cosmetics containing iodine ingredients...

3. What should thyroid cancer eat?

For patients with thyroid cancer, it is recommended to supplement enough and balance nutrients including:
Iodine supplementation: Thyroid cancer is mainly caused by iodine deficiency. Because the human thyroid gland needs this substance to produce the necessary hormones, iodine will help balance the thyroid gland and reduce the formation of cancer. Therefore, eat a lot of foods containing high iodine content such as seafood, algae, seaweed,...
Green leafy vegetables: Green leafy vegetables, especially lettuce, spinach are types. Food is rich in magnesium and minerals. Plays an important role in the metabolic activities of the thyroid gland.
Eat nuts: In nuts, especially cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of magnesium, which is good for the thyroid gland. When eating nuts, it will supplement the body with vegetable protein, zinc, vitamin E, vitamin B. These substances will help the thyroid gland work smoothly.
Seafood: Seafood is always a great source of food rich in iodine, zinc, omega-3, B vitamins, which are all very good for the thyroid gland. Especially wild-caught fish such as salmon, halibut or cod.
Fruits: Thyroid cancer should eat berries such as oranges, apples, tomatoes, watermelons, grapes, strawberries... Sugar is the main source of fat for cancer cells. Instead of eating processed foods that are high in chemical sugars, look for natural sources of sugar, which are fruits. The source of sugar from fruit is quite small but just enough for the human body without causing thyroid cancer to develop quickly.

People with thyroid cancer need to have a reasonable diet, knowing what foods should and shouldn't eat will make the treatment process easier. More importantly, you need to find yourself a reputable doctor and hospital to regularly visit, check your health and have a timely treatment plan if needed.
Currently at Vinmec, thyroid cancer is effectively treated gently and comfortably with the method of Radiofrequency ablation. This therapy destroys the cells and blood vessels in the thyroid tumor. This is a new method of treating thyroid cancer today, without surgery, but the thyroid is still preserved.
Many patients have been treated with this method at Vinmec with positive results: Tumor reduced by at least 50% after 1 month of active treatment. After 1 year, the tumor decreased from 80-95%, so it can be considered that this unpleasant cancer has been eliminated.
Besides, at Vinmec, we provide a package of screening and screening for thyroid diseases, helping to detect thyroid diseases early, including thyroid cancer for timely treatment.
When registering for the package of screening and screening for thyroid diseases, customers will be examined and consulted with an Endocrinologist; Thyroid ultrasound; Screening tests for thyroid diseases: FT3, FT4, TSH, Anti – TPO, Anti TG; Return When the results are available, the Client is consulted with the doctor about the next course of action if necessary.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.