At the UK Markey Cancer Center, we have a wide-ranging team of specialists with expertise treating thyroid cancer. Our experience includes hard-to-treat thyroid cancers that have returned after treatment or spread to other parts of the body.
When you’re here, you get access to the latest thyroid cancer treatments. We also provide you with supportive care services and a team that prioritizes your comfort and recovery every step of the way.
Why choose Markey for thyroid cancer treatment?
Markey is Kentucky’s National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Markey also was named among the top 50 cancer centers nationwide on Newsweek’s 2025 list of America’s Best Cancer Care Hospitals.
Our team includes endocrine and head and neck surgeons and other providers who specialize in thyroid cancer. This helps ensure the best possible results for even the most complex cancers.
Here’s how Markey excels in thyroid cancer treatment:
- Experienced surgeons: We know that surgeons who perform a higher volume of surgeries achieve better patient outcomes. Our doctors perform hundreds of thyroid surgeries every year. Most surgeons in the U.S. perform fewer than five a year.
- Thyroid cancer expertise: Our surgeons have specialized training in treating thyroid cancer. That type of expertise is important to you and it’s something you can’t find just anywhere.
- A team approach to care: Our endocrine tumor board is where our experts gather to discuss and plan your treatment. Endocrine surgeons, head and neck surgeons, radiologists and pathologists all work together to determine the best options for you.
- Onsite testing: We offer immediate ultrasound and biopsy test results. This allows us to start planning your treatment during your first office visit.
- Advanced imaging: State-of-the-art nuclear medicine combined with CT scans allows us to precisely locate tumors and plan post-surgery treatments.
- Genetic analysis: Cancer can run in families. We provide genetic analysis for tumors and have genetic counselors who can talk about your family’s risks and next steps.
What Is thyroid cancer?
Thyroid cancer starts in the thyroid gland. Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck. The thyroid produces hormones that regulate your heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature.
Most thyroid nodules are not cancerous, but some are. We use imaging, biopsy, genetic analysis and other tests to determine if you have thyroid cancer.
The types of thyroid cancer include:
- Differentiated: These cancers develop from thyroid follicular cells and include papillary thyroid cancer and follicular thyroid cancer.
- Medullary: This cancer starts in the thyroid’s C cells, which make calcitonin. This type of cancer is more challenging to treat than other types.
- Anaplastic: Also called undifferentiated thyroid cancer, this is a rare cancer where the cells do not resemble thyroid cells.
Parathyroid cancer treatment
Parathyroid cancer is a rare cancer that starts in the parathyroid glands. There are four parathyroid glands. These glands are located near the thyroid and make the hormone that balances the calcium and phosphorus in your body.
Parathyroid cancer symptoms may include:
- Abdominal pain
- Bone pain
- Fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
- Weight loss
At Markey, we have the expertise to treat parathyroid cancer. Treatments we use include surgery (parathyroidectomy), radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Thyroid cancer symptoms may include:
- A painless lump in the neck, sometimes with an enlarged neck lymph node
- Difficulty swallowing
- Pain in the front of the neck that can travel up to the ears
- Voice changes, such as hoarseness, that don’t go away
- A constant cough
- Trouble breathing
Thyroid cancer survival rates vary. They depend on the type and stage of the cancer. Most thyroid cancer grows slowly. The five-year survival rate is 98 percent, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Some thyroid cancer can recur, or return, especially higher risk cancers. We can manage most recurring cancers with treatment.
You can lower your risk of cancer by taking steps to build a healthy lifestyle. Here are some ways you can lower your risk for this disease, as well as improve your overall basic health:
- Avoid using tobacco products. Tobacco has been tied to multiple cancers, and it is responsible for 90 percent of lung cancer deaths.
- Stay physically active. Your physical activity is related to risk for colon and breast cancer. Excess weight gained from inactivity increases the risk of multiple cancers.
- Limit alcohol consumption. It is important to be mindful of how much alcohol you drink. Alcohol intake, even in moderate amounts, can increase the risk for colon, breast, esophageal and oropharyngeal cancer.
- Learn about screenings. Your primary care doctor can recommend appropriate cancer screenings based on your age, personal risk and family history.
According to the American Cancer Society, certain risk factors can raise your chances of developing thyroid cancer. These risk factors include:
- Sex: Women are about three times more likely to develop thyroid cancer.
- Hereditary conditions: Certain inherited conditions in families can raise the risk of thyroid cancer. These conditions include:
- Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
- Cowden disease
- Carney complex, type 1
- Familial nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma
- Familial medullary thyroid cancer
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes
- Radiation exposure: Being exposed to high amounts of radiation from medical treatments or events such as power plant accidents increases your risk for developing thyroid cancer.
- For your first visit, you will be directed to the head, neck & respiratory clinic on the second floor of the Ben Roach Cancer Care Facility.
- You can register at the front desk or registration area, where a Markey team member will help guide you through your appointment.
- Several parking options are available to patients of Markey Cancer Center.
- Please remember to bring your patient packet with the completed forms. These items will help your doctor learn more about your case and determine the best plan for your care.
- Review the patient handbook to learn about your stay and everything Markey offers for patients and families.
- To meet our patient needs, UK HealthCare accepts many forms of insurance.
Clinical trials are research studies aimed at evaluating medical, surgical or behavioral interventions to determine if a new treatment is safe and effective. At Markey, we are advancing cancer care and research to prevent, detect and treat one patient at a time. As a patient at Markey, you have a team of people looking at your individual case, applying the most recent cancer knowledge to give you the best chance of survival.
Markey has more open clinical trials than any other cancer center in the region, giving you access to some of the most advanced options available. Learn more about ongoing clinical trials for treating thyroid and parathyroid cancers below.
