An accomplished surgeon who specializes in procedures of the head and neck, Dr. Rajiv Datta has put in well over 15 years as the chair of the Department of Surgery at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Valley Stream, New York. As part of his commitment to remaining up to date with the latest advancements in his field, Dr. Rajiv Datta pays close attention to the recommendations of authorities such as the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center.
Before the mid-1990s, physicians typically diagnosed thyroid cancer by detecting swollen nodules in the neck by touch alone. Then, the expanding prevalence of ultrasound evaluations began making it possible to identify smaller thyroid nodules that would have otherwise gone undetected.
While these diagnostic advancements have spurred earlier detection, they have also led physicians and patients alike to pursue drastic surgery and treatment options before small nodules present a realistic health threat. In light of this, the MSK Cancer Center now recommends a strategy of active surveillance when it comes to slow-growing thyroid cancers such as papillary thyroid cancer.
Patients who exhibit small cancerous nodules that appear to be confined to the thyroid gland are encouraged to refrain from surgery at the outset. Instead, the MSK Cancer Center will schedule a series of ultrasounds in order to monitor potential growth. After administering an ultrasound every six months for a period of two years, MSK will begin stretching the time between ultrasounds to nine or 12 months as long as no dangerous growth is detected.
Before the mid-1990s, physicians typically diagnosed thyroid cancer by detecting swollen nodules in the neck by touch alone. Then, the expanding prevalence of ultrasound evaluations began making it possible to identify smaller thyroid nodules that would have otherwise gone undetected.
While these diagnostic advancements have spurred earlier detection, they have also led physicians and patients alike to pursue drastic surgery and treatment options before small nodules present a realistic health threat. In light of this, the MSK Cancer Center now recommends a strategy of active surveillance when it comes to slow-growing thyroid cancers such as papillary thyroid cancer.
Patients who exhibit small cancerous nodules that appear to be confined to the thyroid gland are encouraged to refrain from surgery at the outset. Instead, the MSK Cancer Center will schedule a series of ultrasounds in order to monitor potential growth. After administering an ultrasound every six months for a period of two years, MSK will begin stretching the time between ultrasounds to nine or 12 months as long as no dangerous growth is detected.
