Thyroid cancer is one of the most common endocrine tumors, and thanks to advances in diagnostics and therapy, the prognosis for most patients today is exceptionally good. One of the specific and highly effective methods of treating thyroid cancer is radioactive iodine therapy, also known as ablative or adjuvant iodine-131 (I-131) therapy.

Cancer treatment can be difficult and exhausting, and treatments such as radiotherapy ("radiation") and chemotherapy often cause side effects that make everyday life even more difficult for patients. In addition to causing loss of energy and mental exhaustion, radiation can cause skin changes, including burns known as radiation dermatitis.

A clinical trial is a study on human volunteers that serves to answer a specific medical question. Carefully and qualitatively conducted clinical trials are the fastest and safest way to discover new types of treatment and ways to improve health in people. In oncology, interventional studies are most common, which investigate whether a new/experimental treatment (or a standard treatment applied in a new way) is safe and effective under controlled conditions.

In addition to standard (Western, conventional) medicine, which is practiced by doctors with a medical degree and other health professionals (nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, etc.), and which is based on so-called evidence-based medicine (knowledge is acquired through scientific research), there is also complementary and alternative medicine, which are practices that are not part of standard medical practice.

Regardless of the form of treatment you receive, close cooperation with your oncologist is necessary during the application of therapy, which includes frequent check-ups. Check-ups are important on the one hand because of possible side effects of treatment, in order to recognize them in time and treat them if necessary, and on the other hand to assess the effect of the applied therapy.

Some tumors grow thanks to the action of hormones, and some types of breast cancer and prostate cancer are examples. This is the basis of the action of the so-called hormone therapy, for which the correct name is endocrine therapy. In other words, it would be correct to say anti-hormone therapy, because the goal of treatment is either to reduce the production of hormones or to reduce their effect on tumor cells.

Radiotherapy, or colloquially radiation, is the use of ionizing radiation (high-energy rays) for the treatment of malignant diseases. Unlike its use in diagnostics (for example, an X-ray of a broken bone), the doses used are significantly higher, which allows the destruction of tumor cells by damaging their DNA.

The basic function of the immune system is to find and destroy abnormal cells, including tumor cells, and thus prevent the occurrence of cancer. It has been proven that in some people with cancer, so-called tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) accumulate around tumor tissue, which is a sign of an immune response to the tumor, and such patients have a better prognosis than others.

Unlike chemotherapy, which acts selectively, targeted therapy precisely affects the changes in cancer cells that cause them to grow, divide, and/or spread. Therefore, these drugs are colloquially called smart drugs. This type of treatment was made possible by scientific research, which over time has found molecules on the surface or inside tumor cells that are specific to cancer cells.

The downside of chemotherapy is that it is a non-selective treatment, and in addition to cancer cells, it can also damage other cells in the body that divide rapidly, such as skin, intestinal and blood cells, which is why this type of treatment often causes frequent side effects. Here are some of the more common side effects, along with tips on how to alleviate and cope with them.

Chemotherapy refers to the use of cytostatics, or drugs whose basic mechanism of action is to kill rapidly dividing cells. Most cells in the body are constantly dividing, but an important feature of cancer cells is that they divide uncontrollably and rapidly, which is precisely the basis for the use of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can be used to treat cancer, reduce the risk of disease recurrence, slow tumor growth, or reduce symptoms.

Surgical treatment of cancer involves the removal of the tumor mass by surgery. It is the only type of treatment for malignant diseases that is not performed by oncologists, but primarily by surgeons. Many patients with cancer are treated surgically. In general, surgery is most often used for patients with localized disease (solid tumors located in one place), while it is rarely used for widespread disease.

One of the most important questions that a cancer patient wants answered is how serious the disease is and what the chances of survival are, and this is precisely what the prognosis of the disease tells us. The prognosis can be influenced by numerous factors, including the type of cancer and its location and the stage of the disease.

Medspot is a digital magazine that covers current medical topics. The theme of the June issue was women's health, for which our oncologist Dr. Kust wrote a guide to easing side effects in patients receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer.

The world of oncology is constantly looking for ways to increase the effectiveness of treatment, while at the same time reducing side effects and preserving the quality of life of patients. One of the newer and most promising approaches in this direction is radioligand therapy (RLT) – a form of targeted treatment that uses radioactive molecules to precisely target tumor cells, while bypassing healthy tissue.

Pseudoprogression (false tumor progression) is a phenomenon in which tumor changes at first glance appear to be progressing (growing) after treatment has begun, although the therapy is actually working. In other words, the tumor may initially increase in size on follow-up scans or new lesions may appear, but later – with continued treatment – the tumor size decreases.

Chemotherapy can shrink a tumor, prevent its spread, and relieve symptoms , depending on how and when it is administered.