Thyroid Cancer and Thyroid Nodules In 30 Minutes: A guide to symptoms, diagnosis, surgery, and disease management

A thyroid nodule or cancer diagnosis raises an avalanche of questions, and the answers from medical specialists can be hard to follow. Thyroid Cancer and Thyroid Nodules In 30 Minutes is written by Per-Olof Hasselgren, M.D., Ph.D., an experienced endocrine surgeon and Harvard Medical School professor with 45 years of surgical practice. Using plain-English explanations, real patient case studies, and illustrations, Dr. Hasselgren helps patients and families understand what thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer actually mean — and what comes next.

The good news: most thyroid nodules are benign, and many patients do not need surgery. Even when a nodule is malignant, the majority of thyroid cancers can be successfully managed with an excellent long-term prognosis. This silver Benjamin Franklin Award-winning guide will help you make sense of your diagnosis and have more informed conversations with your medical team.

Who This Book Is For

• Patients recently diagnosed with a thyroid nodule who want to understand what it means and what happens next
• Thyroid cancer patients preparing for surgery or radioactive iodine treatment
• Family members and caregivers supporting a loved one through diagnosis and treatment
• Anyone scheduled for a thyroidectomy who wants to understand the different types of thyroid surgery

What This Book Covers

• The anatomy and function of the thyroid gland, including thyroid hormones
• Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism
• Blood tests and imaging tests used to evaluate thyroid nodules
• Bethesda classifications and how they determine cancer risk
• Management of benign nodules, including multinodular goiter
• Types of thyroid cancer: papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic
• The TNM staging system for thyroid cancer
• Thyroid surgery options: total thyroidectomy, lobectomy, isthmusectomy, and completion thyroidectomy
• Radioactive iodine (radioiodine) treatment: how it works, side effects, and precautions
• Four patient case studies following diagnosis, workup, and treatment decisions
• A glossary of medical terms and index

Common Questions This Book Answers

• What is a thyroid nodule, and does it mean I have cancer?
• What do Bethesda classification results mean for my risk?
• What is the difference between a thyroidectomy and a thyroid lobectomy?
• What is radioactive iodine treatment and what are the side effects?
• Which type of doctor should I see for a thyroid nodule or thyroid cancer?
• What is the long-term prognosis for papillary thyroid cancer?

This is not a do-it-yourself medical guide. A physician is needed to diagnose and manage thyroid conditions. But for patients and families navigating a confusing diagnosis, this book provides clear, authoritative answers grounded in decades of surgical expertise.

If you or a loved one has been told there is something on the thyroid, this is the guide that will help you understand what it means.

About the author: Per-Olof Hasselgren, M.D., Ph.D. has practiced surgery for 45 years. He is a member of the Section of Endocrine Surgery in the Department of Surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and serves as the George H.A. Clowes, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School.