Aira Hospital

The only chance to cure a thyroid cancer would be a total thyreoidectomy - removal of the whole thyroid gland. Although technical possible, it is not feasible in our set up since we cannot secure the lifelong substitution with thyroid hormone which is needed for the patient to survive after this procedure. Therefore it is usually better not to proceed with surgery if malignancy is suspected.

Usual the diagnosis is obvious clinically with septic ulcerations in a hard fixed gland

 

Or obvious metastasis as here in the scull

 

Even if you think that a malignancy could be removed without taking away the whole gland the procedure usually involves severe technical difficulties and although the patient survives the heroic procedure a lasting cure is not always ensured.

 

In the end the patient usually does not benefit from the surgery, suffering unnescessary pains and wasting money which the family could have spent for better purposes – food and education of other family members.

Remember that it takes 10 years to learn how to operate – but it takes 20 years to learn when not to operate!