Treatment for thyroid cancer
A team of doctors and other professionals discuss the best treatment and care for you. They are a . The team includes a:
surgeon
cancer specialist (oncologist)
specialist doctor who treats illnesses affecting the system (endocrinologist)
doctor who specialises in looking at scans (radiologist)
clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
doctor who specialises in tests and scans that use substances (nuclear medicine specialist)
doctor who specialises in looking at under a microscope (pathologist)
Your team reviews the scans and tests. Your doctor will talk to you about your treatment options, their benefits, and the possible side effects.
Your treatment depends on:
where your cancer is
how big it is and whether it has spread (the stage)
your type of thyroid cancer
how abnormal the cells look under a microscope (the grade)
your general health and level of fitness
your personal choice
Treatment decisions can be complicated and confusing. You can ask for a second opinion if you would like to get another doctor's view on your treatment. This means going to see another specialist. They will need to see all your test results.
A second opinion doesn't usually mean that the new doctor takes over your treatment and care. They discuss with you and your current doctor which is the best treatment approach to take.
Read more about getting a second opinion
The main treatments for thyroid cancer include:
surgery
radioactive iodine treatment
targeted cancer drugs
radiotherapy
Surgery is the most common treatment for thyroid cancer. The surgeon might remove:
part of your thyroid - this is a lobectomy, partial thyroidectomy or hemithyroidectomy
all of your thyroid gland - this is a total thyroidectomy
lymph nodes in your neck
Depending on your situation, you might need further surgery after a partial thyroidectomy. This is to remove the remaining thyroid tissue. Doctors call this a completion thyroidectomy.
These are big operations, carried out under general anaesthetic.
Go to information about surgery for thyroid cancer
Radioactive iodine is a type of radioisotope therapy. It uses a radioactive form of iodine called iodine 131 (I-131). Thyroid cells absorb iodine 131 and the radiation in the iodine kills the cancer cells.
It is only suitable for some types of thyroid cancer, including:
follicular thyroid cancer
papillary thyroid cancer
You usually have the radioactive iodine as a capsule. You might need to stay in hospital for a few days.
You may have radioactive iodine treatment after having a total or completion thyroidectomy.
Read more about radioactive iodine treatment
You will need to take thyroid hormone replacement after surgery to remove all of your thyroid gland. This is to replace the hormone thyroxine which your thyroid gland normally makes.
Taking thyroid hormone replacement can also lower the risk of your thyroid cancer coming back.
Your doctor will check your hormone levels regularly to review how much you need to take. You might not need to take hormone replacement if the surgeon only removed part of your thyroid gland.
Read more about taking thyroid hormones in our page about life after surgery
Targeted cancer drugs work by targeting the differences in cancer cells that help them to grow and survive. There are many different types of targeted drugs.
Doctors use a type called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) for some people with thyroid cancer. You might have these drugs for thyroid cancer if:
other treatments are not an option or no longer work
your cancer begins to grow outside of the thyroid gland or spread to another part of your body
Targeted drugs for thyroid cancer include lenvatinib, sorafenib, cabozantinib and selpercatinib.
Read about targeted cancer drugs
Radiotherapy uses high energy waves similar to x-rays to destroy cancer cells. External radiotherapy uses a radiotherapy machine to aim radiation beams at a cancer. You have this treatment in the hospital radiotherapy department.
You might have external radiotherapy if:
some cancer remains after your surgery
you need more treatment and radioactive iodine is unlikely to control your cancer
Find out about external radiotherapy
There are different types of thyroid cancer. Your type depends on several factors. These include what type of cell the cancer starts in. And how much the cancer cells look like normal cells.
Doctors use the term ‘differentiated thyroid cancer’ to group some types of thyroid cancer together. Differentiation means how different thyroid cancer cells look under a microscope. This is compared to normal thyroid cells.
Differentiated thyroid cancer cells look a lot like normal thyroid cells. This is the most common group of thyroid cancers. It includes papillary, follicular and oncocytic thyroid cancers. These types of thyroid cancer have similar treatment.
Below we have information about treatment for some different types including:
differentiated thyroid cancers - papillary, follicular and oncocytic thyroid cancer (doctors used to call this Hurthle cell)
medullary thyroid cancer
anaplastic thyroid cancer
Doctors are trying to improve treatments and reduce side effects. Your doctor might ask you to take part in a clinical trial as part of your treatment. This might be to look at a new cancer treatment or different combinations of existing treatments.
Your doctor will tell you if there are any trials that you can enter.
Last reviewed: 22 Sept 2026
Next review due: 22 Sept 2029
The type of thyroid cancer refers to the type of cell the cancer started in. The stage of a cancer tells you its size and whether it has spread.
Possible treatments include surgery, radiotherapy, targeted drugs and chemotherapy. What treatment you have depends on your type and stage of thyroid cancer.
Survival for thyroid cancer depends upon the type and stage of your thyroid cancer. Survival is generally very good for papillary and follicular thyroid cancers.
Practical and emotional support is available to help you cope with thyroid cancer.
The thyroid is a small butterfly shaped gland that makes and releases hormones. It’s found at the front of your neck in the lowest part.
