8. Treatment Modalities: PTC vs. FTC – Charting the Course of Action
Both PTC and FTC, like most thyroid cancers, share a common first line of treatment: surgery. However, the scope of the surgery and the treatments that might follow can differ based on the type of cancer.
The standard surgical treatment for PTC usually involves a total thyroidectomy (removal of the entire thyroid gland), especially if the tumor is larger or if it has spread to lymph nodes. Post-surgery, radioactive iodine therapy may be used to destroy any remaining thyroid tissue and to treat PTC that has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
FTC, on the other hand, also typically involves a total thyroidectomy. But since FTC is less likely to spread to lymph nodes and more likely to spread to distant parts of the body, the use of radioactive iodine therapy post-surgery is especially valuable. It helps to treat the distant spread of cancer and reduce the risk of recurrence.
Beyond these common treatments, there is an increasing role for targeted therapies, especially in advanced or metastatic cases of both PTC and FTC. The type of targeted therapy used often depends on the specific genetic alterations present in the tumor. (8)
