Doctor Thyroid

You have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and contrary to your doctor's advice, you choose to not proceed with surgery.  Is this a patient trend, and how often are patients making this decision? In a qualitative analysis, Dr. Louise Davies reports on the experience of US patients who self-identify as having an over-diagnosed thyroid cancer. How likely is death as result of thyroid cancer?  In a study by H. Harach, he sites that when reviewing random autopsies, thyroid cancer was prevalent in 34% of the cadavers.   Dr. Davies states, if diagnosed with thyroid cancer, important questions to ask, include: How big is the tumor? How was the tumor discovered? Are there any symptoms? Dr. Davies says those who choose to opt for no surgery are sometimes called stupid by those who know them, and end up feeling isolated and anxious, with little or no support.   Louise Davies, MD, MS, FACS is an Associate Professor at Geisel School of Medicine and Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice (TDI).