Sonko Rescues Baby With Metastatic Thyroid Carcinoma

Image result for sonko and baby Haimanah

Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko has reached out to the parents of Haimanah Wairimu from Komarock area Embakasi Central Constituency t0 help them get further treatment for their daughter who was diagnosed with Metastatic Thyroid Carcinoma.

Haimanah will receive her treatment in India. In his twitter account, Governor Sonko indicated that he was seeing off  Baby the ailing child at JKIA. He said:

What exactly is this Metastatic Thyroid Carcinoma?

Papillary thyroid cancer, also known as papillary thyroid carcinoma, is the most common type of thyroid cancer. Baby Haimanah has a more advanced case of this disease, according to what the governor has mentioned her case is metastatic, meaning that the disease has spread beyond her thyroid gland.

There is no specific or unique symptom of this type of cancer however the most common symptom is a mass in the neck. According to medical reports, it is more prevalent in women from 30 years and older but it is not restricted to that age.

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Characteristics of Papillary Thyroid Cancer

  • Papillary thyroid cancer is more common in females than in males by a 3:1 ratio.
  • The prognosis is directly related to tumor size. Less than 1.5 cm [1/2 inch] is a good prognosis.
  • The prognosis is also directly related to age. Patients under 55 years of age do much better than patients who are over 55 years of age.
  • The prognosis is directly related to gender.  Women have a much better prognosis than do similarly aged men.
  • This cancer accounts for 85% of thyroid cancers due to radiation exposure.
  • In more than 50% of cases, it spreads to lymph nodes of the neck.
  • Distant spread (to lungs, liver or bones) is uncommon.
  • The overall cure rate is very high (approaching 100% for small lesions in young patients).Management of Papillary Thyroid Cancer

What are some other papillary thyroid cancer treatments?

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Most cancers are treated with removal of the thyroid gland in surgery procedure called thyroidectomy. Although small tumors that have not spread outside the thyroid gland may be treated by just removing the side of the thyroid containing the tumor . If lymph nodes are enlarged or show signs of cancer spread, they will be removed as well.

Treatment after surgery depends on the stage of the cancer:

  • Radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment is sometimes used after thyroidectomy for early-stage cancers (T1 or T2), but the cure rate with surgery alone is excellent. If the cancer does come back, radioiodine treatment can still be given.Image result for radio therapy
  • RAI therapy is often given for more advanced cancers such as T3 or T4 tumors, or cancers that have spread to lymph nodes or distant areas. The goal is to destroy any remaining thyroid tissue and to try to treat any cancer remaining in the body. Areas of distant spread that do not respond to RAI might need to be treated with external beam radiation therapy, targeted therapy, or chemotherapy.

 

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