Treatments and Therapies for Thyroid Cancer

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Fred Hutch Cancer Center offers comprehensive care for thyroid cancer, from stage I (1) to stage IV (4). We offer advanced thyroid cancer treatments and new options available only through clinical trials. The most common treatments for thyroid cancer are surgery, radiation and radioactive iodine. Often, patients have a combination of treatments. But not everyone needs all of these. We’ll tailor your treatment to you.

Thyroid Cancer Care Tailored to You

You and your family are our top priority. At Fred Hutch Cancer Center, we offer comprehensive and compassionate care — personalized to you. You'll have access to the latest treatment options, clinical trials and supportive care services.

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How We Treat Thyroid Cancer at Fred Hutch

Surgery

As a patient at Fred Hutch, you’ll have surgery by a UW Medicine head and neck surgeon. Your surgeon will be specially trained and board certified in head and neck surgery. They will recommend the best procedure to match your needs.

Read About Thyroid Cancer Surgery

Radiation and Radioactive Iodine

External radiation therapy is most often used to treat medullary thyroid cancer or anaplastic thyroid cancer, because these cancers don’t take up iodine.

For cancers that do take up iodine (most papillary and follicular thyroid cancers), radioiodine therapy is usually a better treatment option.

Read About Radiation and Radioactive Iodine for Thyroid Cancer
Dr. Mara Y. Roth

“I enjoy helping patients understand the diagnosis and treatment of endocrine cancers so they can choose a path forward that matches their life goals.” 

— Dr. Mara Y. Roth, Fred Hutch endocrinologist and thyroid cancer specialist

Why Choose Fred Hutch for Thyroid Cancer Treatment

At Fred Hutch, we understand this may be one of the most intense and challenging experiences you and your family ever go through. We are here to provide the care you need.

Team-Based Care from Specialists

We have surgeons, medical oncologists, endocrinologists and pathologists who specialize in thyroid cancer. We offer advanced diagnostic, treatment and recovery programs. Along with treating your cancer, we also offer a range of services to support you and your caregiver. This is part of how we take care of you — not just your disease. From registered dietitians to Spiritual Health clinicians to social workers, our experts know how to care for people with thyroid cancer.

Treatment Tailored to You

We view treatment as a collaborative effort. Your Fred Hutch physicians will explain all your options. We’ll recommend a treatment plan to get you the best results based on the type of cancer and its stage, and your overall health.

Clinical Trials to Improve Outcomes

Many of our patients receive promising therapies by taking part in thyroid cancer clinical trials. These research studies are done by physician-scientists from Fred Hutch and UW Medicine. They test new treatments or new ways to use current treatments. Most recent advances in cancer treatment have come out of clinical trials. Through the Seattle Children’s/University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium, we typically have more than 750 active clinical trials, which means more treatment options for people like you.

Thyroid Cancer Treatment FAQ

The most common treatments for thyroid cancer are surgery, radiation and radioactive iodine. Often, patients have a combination of treatments. But not everyone needs all of these. We’ll tailor your treatment to you.

Fred Hutch offers all standard treatment for thyroid cancer. Our patients also have access to newer options or treatment combinations that you can only get through clinical trials.

Fred Hutch researchers are always looking for better ways to treat thyroid cancer. We are doing clinical trials of new drugs and drug combinations to treat different types of thyroid tumors. Our scientists are also developing new methods to tell which tumors are likely to respond best to which treatments.

Learn more about thyroid cancer research.

The Fred Hutch patient and family education team works with other Fred Hutch experts to create reliable resources and select materials from trusted cancer organizations.

Find a resource.