Doctor Thyroid

This episode is recorded from Boston and the World Congress on Thyroid Cancer, where leading doctors and researchers have gathered to share the latest medical research and trends related to thyroid disease.  At the Congress, Dr. Okamoto presented on Thyroid Cancer Guidelines Around the World He helped write the Japanese guidelines on thyroid cancer.  He is Professor & Chair of the Department of Surgery at Tokyo Women’s Medical University.  Key points from this episode include: Most Western countries carry out total thyroidectomies, whereas in Japan, the approach is more conservative with a fundamental practice of hemithyroidectomy whenever possible. By not doing a total thyroidectomy, this allows the patient to not avoid taking thyroid replacement medication. Complete thyroidectomy is conducted when 80-90% of lymph nodes have metastasis. I-131 treatment is decreasing despite cases of cancer increasing For I-131 treatment, patients wait more than 6 months post surgery. When receving I-131 treatment, patie