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Your guide to what all the thyroid terms mean.
131I radioiodine
a form of radioactive iodine used in the diagnosis and treatment
of some thyroid disorders.
Ablation
treatment with radioactive iodine after surgery to destroy remaining normal
thyroid cells as well as thyroid cancer cells in the thyroid bed/neck.
Benign
non cancerous, not life threatening.
Clinical Oncologist
a physician who cares for patients with cancer.
Endocrine glands
glands that release hormones directly into the bloodstream.
Endocrinologist
a physician who cares for patients with disorders of endocrine glands
i.e. hormone-related disorders.
Euthyroid
having a thyroid gland that functions normally, and consequently there is a
proper amount of thyroid hormone in the bloodstream.
FNAB (Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy)
a method where a thin needle is inserted into
thyroid tissue and the sample is taken to be tested for cancerous cells.
Goitre
an enlarged thyroid gland.
Hormones
chemicals produced by an endocrine gland and released into the blood. Hormones
travel to other organs of the body where they produce their effect.
Hyperthyroidism
symptoms of increased activity of organs due to excess thyroid hormones
in the bloodstream.
Hypothyroidism
symptoms of decreased activity of organs due to a deficiency of thyroid
hormones in the bloodstream.
Metabolism
the use of calories and oxygen to produce energy.
Nuclear medical physician
a physician who cares for patients with many medical disorders,
and is responsible for administering radioactive substance and the scanning procedure.
Radioactive iodine (RAI)
radioactive isotopes of iodine (131I) used in the diagnosis and
treatment of some thyroid disorders. RAI is also used for treatment of thyroid cancer, in
which cases the patient takes a large dose of radioactive iodine to kill any recurrent or
metastasized thyroid cells.
Recombinant human thyroid
stimulating hormone (rhTSH) - a hormone similar to the body's
own thyroid stimulating hormone but produced in a laboratory.
T3 (triiodothyronine)
one of the hormones produced and secreted by the thyroid gland.
T4 (thyroxine)
the primary hormone produced and secreted by the thyroid gland.
Tg test
a method that measures the level of thyroglobulin (Tg) in the blood.
THT (thyroid hormone therapy)
therapy consisting of thyroid hormone medications.
Thyroglobulin (Tg)
large protein that is produced by the thyroid tissue. The level of
Tg in the bloodstream can be monitored to detect thyroid cancer recurrence.
Thyroid gland
a two-lobed gland lying at the base of the throat that produces hormones
essential for a variety of metabolic processes in the body. When iodine is ingested, much
of it goes to the thyroid gland.
Thyroid hormones
T4 and T3, two hormones that tell the body how fast to work and how to
use energy. T4 (thyroxine) is the primary hormone produced by the thyroid gland and T3
(triiodothyronine) is the secondary hormone produced by the thyroid gland.
Thyroid nodule
a lump/growth in or on the thyroid gland.
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland in the brain
that stimulates the thyroid gland to produce the thyroid hormones T4 and T3.
Thyroidectomy
surgical removal of the thyroid gland.
Whole body scan (WBS)
images of the entire body after ingestion of radioactive iodine.
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