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Surgery
Source: Thyroid Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: February 12, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.
Context: Treatment Option Overview / The following types of treatment are used:
Surgery is the most common treatment for thyroid cancer. One of the following procedures may be used:
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Lobectomy: Removal of the lobe in which thyroid cancer is found. Lymph nodes near the cancer may also be removed and checked under a microscope for signs of cancer.
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Near-total thyroidectomy: Removal of all but a very small part of the thyroid. Lymph nodes near the cancer may also be removed and checked under a microscope for signs of cancer.
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Total thyroidectomy: Removal of the whole thyroid. Lymph nodes near the cancer may also be removed and checked under a microscope for signs of cancer.
Tracheostomy: Surgery to create an opening (stoma) into the windpipe to help you breathe. The opening itself may also be called a tracheostomy.
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Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice