Follow Up After Thyroid Cancer Surgery

Thyroid cancer follow up care is dependent on your relationship with your endocrinologist and the extent and stage of your thyroid cancer. In this video, Dr. Gary Clayman discusses what thyroid cancer follow should be. Your endocrinologist will examine your neck, perform an ultrasound of your entire neck and monitor your blood for your thyroid hormone levels and the marker for your thyroid cancer, thyroglobulin (for papillary, follicular or hurthle cell thyroid cancers). What your thyroid cancer surgeon found during your operation and the final pathologic review are the most important factors determining whether or not to have radioactive iodine as a targeted treatment for your thyroid cancer. Your relationship with the endocrinologist is a long-term one so he/she should be experienced in thyroid cancer and you should be comfortable with them.