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Thyroid Cancer Is Often Highly Treatable — Here’s What Patients Should Know
- November 17, 2025
- Jennifer Ogilvie, MD, FACS, Associate Professor of Surgery (Oncology, Endocrine) HealthDay Reporter
Thyroid cancer is often a highly treatable disease. Most cases are detected in early stages and have excellent outcomes. There are several different types of thyroid cancer, and recent changes in management — especially for low-risk cases — are transforming care.
More than 90% of thyroid cancers are differentiated thyroid cancers (DTC), including papillary, follicular and oncocytic types, which are usually slow-growing and treatable. More aggressive thyroid cancers, such as poorly differentiated, anaplastic and medullary thyroid cancers, are much less common and require more specialized treatment approaches.
What is thyroid cancer?
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of the neck that helps regulate metabolism, energy and growth. Thyroid cancer develops when cells in the gland grow uncontrollably and spread. Most thyroid cancers are found as a painless lump or nodule in the neck, often during a routine physical exam, or are seen incidentally on imaging studies performed for another reason.
Thyroid cancer types
The majority of thyroid cancers (about 84%) are papillary thyroid cancers. These arise from the gland’s follicular cells, which produce hormones that help regulate metabolism. Follicular and oncocytic thyroid cancers are less common and are often associated with slightly more aggressive disease. Medullary, poorly differentiated and anaplastic thyroid cancers are quite rare and are more aggressive.
Most differentiated thyroid cancers are slow-growing and have favorable long-term outcomes. Patients with low-risk thyroid cancers often have a high rate of cure, and even those whose cancer has spread can sometimes live for many years with appropriate treatment.
Thyroid cancer symptoms
No recommended screening tests for thyroid cancer exist. Most cases are found incidentally and do not cause any symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they may include a painless lump in the neck, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing and/or swollen neck lymph nodes. Rapid growth, pain or sudden changes in voice may suggest a more aggressive thyroid cancer, but these symptoms are uncommon.
What causes thyroid cancer?
The exact cause of most thyroid cancer is unknown. Risk factors include a history of radiation exposure to the head or neck, a family history of thyroid cancer, as well as certain genetic syndromes that predispose to thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer is more common in women and tends to occur in middle age, but can affect people of any age and sex. Most cases are not inherited, but some rare types (like medullary thyroid cancer) can run in families.
Treatment for thyroid cancer
Treatment depends on the type, size and stage of the cancer. For most people with small, low-risk papillary or follicular thyroid cancers, surgery to remove part of the thyroid (thyroid lobectomy) is often adequate.
The 2025 American Thyroid Association guidelines recommend less aggressive treatment for many low-risk cases. Lobectomy is preferred over complete thyroid removal (total thyroidectomy) when possible, and radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy is reserved only for higher-risk patients.
For very small thyroid cancers without additional concerning features, active surveillance may be considered instead of immediate surgery. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is another new alternative treatment that is undergoing investigation for selected small low risk cancers. RFA is a non surgical, minimally invasive treatment.
A thin probe is inserted into a thyroid nodule under ultrasound guidance and radiofrequency waves are used to generate heat and shrink the nodule, while preserving surrounding thyroid tissue.
For higher-risk or more advanced cancers, treatment may include total thyroidectomy, RAI and sometimes external radiation or systemic (chemotherapy) therapies. When thyroid cancers do not respond to standard treatment, newer therapies are now available, especially for more advanced or aggressive types.
Targeted therapy: These medicines are designed to attack specific features found only on cancer cells, like a key fitting a specific lock. They destroy cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone.
Immunotherapy: The immune system is the body's natural defense against disease. Cancer cells can hide from this system. Immunotherapy helps the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells more effectively.
Molecular testing: A sample of the tumor is examined to detect specific characteristics of the tumor cells. This helps identify therapies that target those characteristics, so that the most effective treatment can be determined for each individual.
A multidisciplinary team works together to determine the optimal treatment for each patient. This team includes expert endocrinologists, specialized endocrine surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, nuclear medicine specialists and pathologists. An experienced team employs shared decision-making and individualized care, balancing treatment benefits with quality of life and patient preferences.
What this means for you
Most thyroid cancers are slow-growing and highly curable, especially when detected early. Latest guidelines support less aggressive treatment for low-risk cases, reducing unnecessary surgery and potential complications. For advanced thyroid cancers, new therapies offer the potential for improved outcomes. Patients should discuss options with their experienced care team to find the best approach for each individual situation.
About the expert
Jennifer Ogilvie, MD, FACS, is Associate Professor of Surgery and Chief, Section of Endocrine Surgery at Yale School of Medicine. She completed training in General Surgery and fellowship training in Endocrine Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. Prior to Yale, she held faculty positions at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and New York University Langone Health, where she was also Director of Endocrine Surgery at Bellevue Hospital. Her clinical interests focus on the optimal surgical treatment of thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal tumors. Her research interests are in surgical education and the function of surgical teams, shared clinical decision making, and clinical outcomes in Endocrine Surgery.
