Follicular thyroid cancer and its distant metastasis - case report

Joanna Kłubo-Gwieździńska; Roman Junik

Vol 3, No 4 (2004): Polish Palliative Medicine

Case reports

Published online: 2004-09-21

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Follicular thyroid cancer and its distant metastasis - case report

Joanna Kłubo-Gwieździńska, Roman Junik

Advances in Palliative Medicine 2004;3(4):373-378.

Vol 3, No 4 (2004): Polish Palliative Medicine

Case reports

Published online: 2004-09-21

Abstract

An increased morbidity of thyroid cancer is observed in Poland. Papillary and follicular thyroid cancers, usually have a mild clinical course and good prognosis. We present a rare case in which a 64 years old woman had untreatable follicular thyroid cancer with numerous distant metastases: to the lungs, the brain and the retroperitoneal space. We present the scheme of the palliative treatment conducted in this case. The aim of the article is to analize the reasons behind the complicated clinical course of the disease and the causes of the therapeutic failure. The delayed onset of proper treatment, caused by medical negligence — the lack of a specialistic histopathological analysis after thyroidectomy, appeared to be the main reason of the therapeutic failure. The medical standard for patients with nodular goiter, qualified for surgical treatment, is an exact histopathological examination of the material obtained at thyroidectomy. The exact histopathological examination and the correct interpretation of the result, is crucial for further treatment. Proper education of the patient is also very important, because it allows regular monitoring of even asymptomatic patients.