 Hi, I am Dr. Rajshekhar Sijaka, Consultant Surgical Oncologist and Robotics Surgeon, Manipal Hospital, Jainagara, Bangalore. Unfortunately, in southern India, thyroid cancer is increasing at a very rapid rate. And the cure rate is very high in this thyroid cancer. Majority of the times, 99% of the patients we will be able to cure even when there is a spread of thyroid cancer. How do you detect this thyroid cancer? What are the signs and symptoms? There will be swelling in the middle of the neck, in front of the neck, which when you swallow it moves. This is the most common thing which will happen. People with a short neck, it is very difficult to notice, but otherwise, majority of times this will be the only complaint or symptom which will occur. If there is any swelling in the middle of the neck, please consult your doctor. The other changes which can occur when it becomes bigger is difficulty when you swallow, difficulty when you drink water or there is a change in voice. But these things occur at a later point of time. The most common myth which I have observed with many doctors or patients is they say thyroid functions were normal, so that is why they don't have thyroid cancer. No. Majority of the times thyroid function will be normal, but still you may have cancer. The most important diagnostic test to confirm cancer is, first we have to do an ultrasound or minimal imaging of the neck and FNAC, that is fine needle aspiration, cytology of the swelling in the middle of the neck. That will tell us whether this is a cancerous swelling or not, not the blood test. So once we confirm that it is a thyroid cancer, treatment is available and it is a curative treatment. The first option is always surgery in thyroid cancer, that is total thyroidectomy. We remove the thyroid gland so that the cancerous part is taken out. The complications associated with the thyroid surgery are change in voice or requirement of calcium or very minimal which is less than 1%. And after this, if the tumor is little extensive, then we ask them to take radioactive iodine treatment which is just a tablet to swallow. So this majority of the times will cure a thyroid cancer. After you complete your thyroid cancer treatment, you need to take one thyroid supplement that is hormone supplement tablet throughout your life, which will also see that the cancer doesn't come back. So it is very important that once in six months you meet your doctor and check your thyroid globulin levels so that we are sure that thyroid cancer is not coming back. If in case, if there is a recurrence, we will be able to completely cure it. So wonderful cancer, where in which we have curative chances even when there is a metastasis, when there is a spread, when it is stage 4 also. So don't neglect the swelling which is there in your neck. Please consult your nearest doctor, then definitely it can be cured. Thank you.