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Saturday, July 8, 2017

Nursing Care Plan for Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the thyroid gland.

The thyroid is a gland at the base of the throat near the trachea (windpipe). It is shaped like a butterfly, with a right lobe and a left lobe. The isthmus, a thin piece of tissue, connects the two lobes. A healthy thyroid is a little larger than a quarter. It usually cannot be felt through the skin. The thyroid uses iodine, a mineral found in some foods and in iodized salt, to help make several hormones. Thyroid hormones do the following:
  • Control heart rate, body temperature, and how quickly food is changed into energy (metabolism).
  • Control the amount of calcium in the blood.
There are four main types of thyroid cancer:
  • Papillary thyroid cancer: The most common type of thyroid cancer.
  • Follicular thyroid cancer. Hürthle cell carcinoma is a form of follicular thyroid cancer and is treated the same way.
  • Medullary thyroid cancer.
  • Anaplastic thyroid cancer.

Possible signs of thyroid cancer include a swelling or lump in the neck.

Thyroid cancer may not cause early symptoms. It is sometimes found during a routine physical exam. Symptoms may occur as the tumor gets bigger. Other conditions may cause the same symptoms. A doctor should be consulted if any of the following problems occur:
  • A lump in the neck.
  • Trouble breathing.
  • Trouble swallowing.
  • Hoarseness.

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