Thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer overview

You are at the center of everything we do at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Here, we surround you with a team of specialists who work together closely to provide expert, targeted care and compassionate support throughout your treatment and beyond.

Because our experts see so many people with thyroid nodules and tumors, we have a deep understanding of how to evaluate your condition and how select and combine treatments to get the best possible results — even for rare cancers that many doctors in the community never see once in their career.

Following the merger of long-time partners, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, the organization was renamed to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. We are an independent, nonprofit organization that also serves as UW Medicine's cancer program. 

Why choose Fred Hutch?

  • Experienced thyroid specialists
    Your skilled and highly experienced team includes a surgeon, endocrinologist, nuclear medicine doctor, pathologist, dedicated nurses, and if needed, a medical oncologist. These UW Medicine specialists work together closely to plan and coordinate all your care so it’s thorough and also easier on you.
  • Comprehensive thyroid cancer treatment
    While thyroid cancer treatment can vary widely at other facilities, we follow guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the American Thyroid Association to make sure you receive the treatments you need (and none that you don’t). We offer a range of treatments, including surgery, radioactive iodine therapy, targeted therapies and thyroid hormone therapy.
  • Where you’re treated first matters most
    Studies have shown that the first treatment you receive for cancer is by far the most important. Patients who begin treatment at Fred Hutch often have better outcomes than those who started treatment elsewhere. Many studies show patients have fewer complications if they have thyroid cancer surgery at a center, like ours, that does a high volume of these operations.
  • Thyroid cancer clinical trials
    To give you access to the most innovative therapies, we unite the leading researchers and cancer specialists of Fred Hutch and UW Medicine so you can take part in thyroid cancer clinical studies not available everywhere. 
  • A national leader in cancer care
    Fred Hutch is the leading cancer treatment center in the region and among the top nationally, according to U.S. News & World Report.
  • NCI comprehensive cancer center
    We are a comprehensive cancer center, a designation from the National Cancer Institute that reflects our scientific leadership and the depth and breadth of our research to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.
Clinical trial A type of research study that tests how well new medical approaches work in people. These studies test new methods of screening, prevention, diagnosis or treatment of a disease. Hormone therapy Hormones can cause some cancers to grow. To slow or stop growth, synthetic hormones or other drugs can be used to block the body’s natural hormones, or surgery is used to remove a hormone-producing gland. Treatment that adds, blocks or removes hormones. For certain conditions (such as diabetes or menopause), hormones are given to adjust low hormone levels. Hormones can also cause certain cancers (such as prostate and breast cancer) to grow. To slow or stop the growth of cancer, synthetic hormones or other drugs can be used to block the body’s natural hormones, or surgery is used to remove the gland that makes a certain hormone. Also called endocrine therapy, hormonal therapy and hormone treatment. Medical oncologist A physician who has special training in diagnosing and treating cancer in adults using chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy and targeted therapy. A physician who has special training in diagnosing and treating cancer in adults using chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy and targeted therapy. A medical oncologist is often the main health care provider for someone who has cancer. A medical oncologist also gives supportive care and may coordinate treatment given by other specialists. Pathologist A physician who has special training in identifying diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope. Targeted therapy A type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific types of cancer cells while causing less harm to normal cells. A type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific types of cancer cells while causing less harm to normal cells. Some targeted therapies block the action of certain enzymes, proteins or other molecules involved in the growth and spread of cancer cells. Other types of targeted therapies help the immune system kill cancer cells, or they deliver toxic substances directly to cancer cells and kill them. Targeted therapy may have fewer side effects than other types of cancer treatment. Most targeted therapies are either small molecule drugs or monoclonal antibodies.

Facts

Just like other cells in your body, if thyroid cells change or mutate, they can become cancerous, meaning they divide and grow without their normal controls, and they don’t organize normally. At Fred Hutch, our thyroid experts — all UW Medicine doctors — evaluate and treat thyroid nodules and every type of thyroid cancer.

Treatment

We treat every type of thyroid cancer. Our thyroid cancer experts are UW Medicine doctors who also see patients at UW Medical Center - Montlake. They work together closely to provide coordinated, world-class treatment for you. 

Providers

At Fred Hutch, you receive care from a team of providers with extensive experience in your disease. Your team includes physicians, a patient care coordinator, a registered nurse, an advanced practice provider and others, based on your needs. You also have access to experts like nutritionists, social workers, acupuncturists, psychiatrists and more who specialize in supporting people with cancer or blood disorders.

Clinical trials

We bring promising new treatments to patients faster. For thyroid cancer patients, this means more treatment options at Fred Hutch than you might find elsewhere, including the chance to participate in one of many ongoing clinical trials conducted at Fred Hutch and UW Medicine.

Resources

There are many resources online for learning about your disease. Health educators at the Fred Hutch Patient and Family Resource Center have compiled a list of trusted sources to help you get started.

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