Doctor Thyroid

Jody Gelb is a Broadway singer and actress.   Six months ago she was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer, during a doctor's visit for an unrelated issue.  This news sparked immediate research and discovering an alternate path that does not include surgery. In this episode, the following topics are discussed: Broadway musical and tour Voice used during work as a performer, singing and acting Diagnosed with thyroid cancer while going to the doctor for a minor back strain MRI on back lead to discovery of thyroid nodules A scare, at one point being told cancer could be medullary BETHESDA scale Book by Dr. Gilbert Welch Incidental findings Watch and wait or active surveillance as an option to removing your thyroid Conflicting and inconsistent information from healthcare professionals to the patient Maximilaist or minimalist Cultivating a wherewithal to ask questions, even when being told something by a healthcare professional Dr. Atul Gawande Dr. Henry Marsh Choosing active surveillance and then feeling isola

Dr. Wartofsky is Professor of Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine and Chairman Emeritus, Department of Medicine, MedStar Washington Hospital Center.  He trained in internal medicine at Barnes Hospital, Washington University and in endocrinology with Dr. Sidney Ingbar, Harvard University Service, Thorndike Memorial Laboratory, Boston.   Dr. Wartofsky is past President of both the American Thyroid Association and The Endocrine Society.  He is the editor of books on thyroid cancer for both physicians and for patients, and thyroid cancer is his primary clinical focus.   He is the author or coauthor of over 350 articles and book chapters in the medical literature, is recent past Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, and is the current Editor-in-Chief of Endocrine Reviews. In this episode, Dr. Wartofsky discusses the following: Hypothyroidism causes When is replacement thyroid hormone necessary? The history of replacement thyroid hormone going back to 1891 The ea

Dr. Alan Farwell is an endocrinologist, Director of the Endocrine Clinics at Boston Medical Center, and Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, in Massachusetts. In addition to his extensive academic and clinical activities, Dr. Farwell has been extremely active and served in multiple capacities in the ATA, including as Chair of the Education Committee and the Patient Education and Advocacy Committee, and as a member of the Program Committee and the Website Task Force Publications Committee. He has served two terms on the ATA Board of Directors, is the founding and current Chair of the ATA Alliance for Patient Education.  Dr. Farwell has been an Associate Editor and member of the Editorial Board of Thyroid, and since 2009 has been Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Thyroidology for the Public. In this interview, we discuss the following topics: Thyroid surgery and RAI sometimes results in hypothyroidism Most common cause is Hashimoto’s disease Explanation of overactive and underacti

Dr. Bridget Brady is Austin’s first fellowship trained endocrine surgeon. She has a passion for and expertise in disease of the thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands. Since completing her endocrine surgery fellowship in 2006 under Matthias Rothmund, MD, an internationally acclaimed endocrine surgeon, she has performed thousands of thyroidectomies and parathyroidectomies here in Austin. Dr. Brady focuses on a variety of minimally invasive techniques to optimize patients’ medical and cosmetic outcomes. Her fellowship training in Germany and experience in Austin have enabled her to specialize in patients with recurrent or persistent disease of the thyroid and parathyroid, including thyroid cancer. She offers complete diagnostic workups including in-office ultrasounds and FNA biopsies of thyroid nodules and lymph nodes. Dr. Brady was named director of endocrine surgery for the new medical school in Austin. She was also recently chosen to teach general surgeons seeking additional training in endocrine surgery.

Jonas de Souza participates in both clinical and outcomes research studies on malignancies of the upper aerodigestive tract, especially head and neck cancers. His research focuses on the use of novel therapeutic agents along with measurements of financial burden, patients’ preferences, and the trade-offs between the risks and benefits of cancer therapies. His research has sought to integrate outcomes research, patient preferences, health policy, and economics into clinical practice. His ultimate goal is to increase access to essential cancer therapies by providing policy makers and scientific communities with the required information on patient preferences and on barriers that lie between cancer patients and access to care.   De Souza has authored and presented papers and given lectures on head and neck malignancies, reimbursement methods in oncology, and evidence-based care. He is the principal investigator for a trial examining the role of SPECT-CT in the follow-up of patients with locally advanced head an

Dr. Angela M. Leung is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and an endocrinologist at both UCLA and the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. After pursuing her undergraduate studies at Occidental College, Dr. Leung completed her internal medicine residency and endocrinology fellowship training at Boston University School of Medicine. She also studied at the Boston University School of Public Health and obtained a master's degree in Epidemiology. Dr. Leung has particular clinical and research interests in thyroid disorders, and she also sees patients regarding parathyroid and adrenal disorders.  She has published widely and lectures frequently on thyroid disease, including hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer, and thyroid disease during pregnancy. In this episode, the following topics are explained: Optimizing thyroid health prior to conception Thyroid issues that affect pregnancy Hypothyroid as result of surgery or Hashimotos Hyperthy

Dr. Amanda Laird, MD is an endocrine surgeon and Chief of Endocrine Surgery at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick, New Jersey. She is currently licensed to practice medicine in New Jersey and New York. She is affiliated with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Hospital. In this interview, Dr. Laird reflects on a decade of treating papillary thyroid cancer patients and reports none have died.  In this interview we also explore these questions: Prognosis and what will happen in the long run and quality of life. Surgery complications. Levothyroxine side-effects, including weight gain.  Life after surgery and RAI. What causes thyroid cancer. What time of day to take thyroid replacement medication. What blood tests should be ordered and is fasting necessary prior to thyroid lab work. NOTES Amanda Laird, MD American Thyroid Association   

Dr. Danielle Ofri is a doctor at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. She is one of the foremost voices in the medical world today, shining an unflinching light on the realities of healthcare and speaking passionately about the doctor-patient relationship. Her newest book is "When We Do Harm: A Doctor Confronts Medical Error." Ofri is a regular contributor to the New York Times and is also the editor-in-chief of the Bellevue Literary Review. She lives in New York City and is determined to get through the Bach cello suites before she kicks the bucket. In this episode: Medical error is the third leading cause of death? After heart disease and cancer. Intended audience for the book? A general audience; lay-public and medical professionals. It is difficult to define a medial error. Starting medication at wrong dose? What errors cause death? This can be vague. Hospitalized patients are different than the general public All sorts of patient harm should be brought to light — shift the medical field to “more safe” sh

Dr. Susanne Breen is a board certified naturopathic physician. She completed her medical training at the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) after initial medical studies at the Oregon Health Sciences University in conventional medicine.  Healing, she discovered, required more than medication or even natural remedies. Her inspiration came from her advanced studies at NUNM in gastroenterology, including Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), where she learned about the root causes of her personal health challenges. She read Breaking the Vicious Cycle, changed her diet, found direction from practitioners and started her path to health. She brings her personal experience and training to help others do the same. Dr. Breen completed a residency with Dr. Gary Weiner at Pearl Natural Health and continues to see patients at this location.  Her training and expertise in the areas of IBD/IBS, thyroid health, bio-identical hormones, gynecology, IV therapy, herbal, nutritional and lifestyle changes offe

In this episode, topics include: Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism during pregnancy Pregnant and without a thyroid Avoiding T3 during pregnancy, including concerns with desiccated thyroid If being treated for hypothyroidism already, the importance of upping dose while pregnant Pregnant with auto-immunity Pregnant with Graves’ disease The dangers of pregnancy and overt hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism Three-percent of pregnancies are affected The importance of iodine during pregnancy Dr. Pearce received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard and a masters’ degree in epidemiology from the Boston University School of Public Health. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and her fellowship in endocrinology at the Boston University Medical Center. She is currently an Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. She has served as a member of the board of directors of the American Thyroid Association and is currently on th

Dr. Shaha specializes in head and neck surgery, with a particular interest in thyroid and parathyroid surgery. He uses an algorithm of selective thyroid tumor criteria (the size, location, stage and type of cancer, along with the patient’s age), to tailor therapy to each individual’s circumstances. This can help thyroid cancer patients avoid unnecessary and potentially damaging over-treatment, while still providing the best option for control of their cancer and better quality of life after treatment. Dr. Shaha works very closely with Memorial Sloan Ketterings’ endocrinologists to monitor the careful post-treatment hormone balancing necessary for thyroid cancer patients. Many academic hospitals and medical societies worldwide have invited Dr. Shaha to speak on the principles of targeted thyroid surgery and to share his expertise in the treatment of head and neck cancers.   In this interview, topics include: The first question a surgeon should ask and why. When talking active surveillance or observation, chan

During this interview, Dr. Tuttle discusses the following points: Challenges of managing thyroid cancer as outlined by the guidelines Scaling back care for insurance-challenged patients, and adopting a plan that gets the same result without needing the expensive tests Desired outcome is survival and no recurrence, a third is for no harm that would be caused by an unnecessary surgery Unwanted side affects of thyroid cancer include nerve damage, parathyroid damage, and infections RAI sometimes has unwanted side affects With technology, ultrasounds and biopsies, we know some cancers do not need to be treated, as they are now being found very early Change in ATA guidelines, low risk cancers can be considered for observation Two different kinds of patient profiles: Minimalist and Maximalist 1cm or 1.5cm? Patient characteristic, ultra sound characteristics, and the medical team characteristics weighs who is the most appropriate for observation 400 active surveillance patients currently at MSKCC Certain parts of th

The USPSTF upholds its 1996 recommendation against screening for thyroid cancer among asymptomatic adults. The USPSTF commissioned the systematic review due to the rising incidence of thyroid cancers against a background of stable mortality, which is suggestive of over-treatment. And in view of the results, the task force concluded with “moderate certainty” that the harms outweigh the benefits of screening. The USPSTF emphasizes, however, that this recommendation pertains only to the general asymptomatic adult population, and not to individuals who present with throat symptoms, lumps or swelling, or those at high risk for thyroid cancer. A global problem The over-diagnosis of thyroid cancer is worldwide.   South Korean doctors treated these newly diagnosed thyroid cancers by completely removing the thyroid—a thyroidectomy. People who undergo these surgeries require thyroid replacement hormones for the rest of their lives. And adjusting the dose can be difficult. Patients suffer from too much thyroid replaceme

Antonio Bianco, MD, PhD, is head of the division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Rush University Medical Center.   Dr. Bianco also co-chaired an American Thyroid Association task force that updated the guidelines for treating hypothyroidism. Dr. Bianco’s research has revealed the connection between thyroidectomy, hypothyroidism symptoms, and T4-only therapy.  Although T4-only therapy works for the majority, others report serious symptoms.  Listen to this segment to hear greater detail in regard to the following topics: Combination therapy of adding T3 to T4 85% of patients on Synthroid feel fine. Nearly 5% of the U.S. population takes T4 or Levothyroxine, as revealed by the NHANE survey.  This means 10 - 15 million Americans.  Residual symptoms of thyroidectomy include depression, difficulty losing weight, poor motivation, sluggishness, and lack of motivation.  For some, there is no remedy to these symptoms.  For others, adding T3 to T4 shows immediate improvement.  The importance of physical activity and

Many centers from around the world want to know how Memorial Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center treats thyroid cancer.  A key member of the MSKCC is Dr. Michael Tuttle.  During this interview, Dr. Tuttle discusses the following points: Challenges of managing thyroid cancer as outlined by the guidelines Scaling back care for insurance-challenged patients, and adopting a plan that gets the same result without needing the expensive tests Desired outcome is survival and no recurrence, a third is for no harm that would be caused by an unnecessary surgery Unwanted side affects of thyroid cancer include nerve damage, parathyroid damage, and infections RAI sometimes has unwanted side affects With technology, ultrasounds and biopsies, we know some cancers do not need to be treated, as they are now being found very early Change in ATA guidelines, low risk cancers can be considered for observation Two different kinds of patient profiles: Minimalist and Maximalist 1cm or 1.5cm? Patient characteristic, ultra sound ch

Dr. Gerard Doherty, an acclaimed endocrine surgeon, is a graduate of Holy Cross and the Yale School of Medicine. He completed residency training at UCSF, including Medical Staff Fellowship at the National Cancer Institute.  Dr. Doherty joined Washington University School of Medicine in 1993, and became Professor of Surgery in 2001. In 2002 he became Head of General Surgery and the Norman W. Thompson Professor of Surgery at the University of Michigan, where he also served as the General Surgery Program Director and Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery. From 2012 to 2016, Dr. Doherty was the Utley Professor and Chair of Surgery at Boston University and Surgeon-in-Chief at Boston Medical Center before becoming Moseley Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, and Surgeon-in-Chief at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  Dr. Doherty was trained in Surgical Oncology, and has practiced the breadth of that specialty, including as founder and co-director of the Breast Health Center

Bryan McIver, MD, PhD Dr. McIver contributes to Moffitt Cancer Center almost 20 years of clinical experience in the care of patients with endocrine diseases, specializing in the evaluation of patients with thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. He has a particular interest in the management of patients with advanced and aggressive forms of cancer and the role of genetic and molecular techniques to improve the accuracy of diagnosis; to tailor appropriate treatment to a patientdisease. Dr. McIver has a long-standing basic research interest in the genetic regulation of growth, invasion and spread of thyroid tumors of all types. His primary research focus is the use of molecular and genetic information to more accurately diagnose thyroid cancer and to predict outcomes in the disease. Dr. McIver received his MB ChB degree from the University of Edinburgh Medical School in Scotland. He completed an Internal Medicine residency at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, followed by a clinical fellowship and clinical investiga

James L. Netterville, M.D. Mark C. Smith Professor of Head and Neck Surgery, Professor of Otolaryngology Director, Head & Neck Oncologic Surgery Associate Director, Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences Dr. Netterville is the Director of Head and Neck Surgery at Vanderbilt and is an international leading authority of treating head and neck cancer. He is one of the world's experts in the treatment of skull base tumors and has a vast clinical experience. Todays topic's include: Reoccurrence thyroid disease patients in paratracheal, thyroid bed, and cervical lymph nodes Papillary thyroid cancer and subtypes: tall cell, columnar, oncocytic, clear cell, hobnail The extreme importance of the pathologist Facebook is one of the number one sources of referrals The changing landscape of researching physicians PubMed and Index Medicus have replaced the library and medical literature In past 5 years patients are seeking advice from peers and experiences from others Patients have become

Antonio Bianco, MD, is the Charles Arthur Weaver Professor of Cancer Research in the Department of Internal Medicine. He is the president of Rush University Medical Group and vice dean for clinical affairs in Rush Medical College. Bianco came to Rush from the University of Miami Health System, where he served as professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. He has more than 30 years of experience in the thyroid field. He has been recognized with a number of national and international awards and membership in prestigious medical societies. A well-rounded investigator in the field of thyroid disease, Bianco led two American Thyroid Association task forces: one charged with drafting guidelines for thyroid research (as chair) and another responsible for developing guidelines for the treatment of hypothyroidism (co-chair). Bianco’s research interests include the cellular and molecular physiology of the enzymes that control thyroid hormone action (the iodothyronine deiod

Dr. Akira Miyauchi Professor Akira Miyauchi (Figure 1) is President and COO of Kuma Hospital, Center of Excellence in Thyroid Care, Kobe, Japan. He is a Japanese endocrine surgeon, and a pioneer in active surveillance, and visionary in regard to treatment of thyroid cancer.  World renowned researcher, and lecturer. As the associate professor of the Department of Surgery, Kagawa Medical University, he proposed and initiated a clinical trial of active surveillance for low-risk papillary micro cancer in collaboration with Kuma Hospital in 1993. In 2001, he was appointed the President of Kuma Hospital. Since then, he has been keen on the study of evaluating treatments for papillary micro cancer, observation versus surgery. During this episode, the following topics are discussed: Financial burden of surgery versus total cost of active surveillance over ten years. Stretching Exercises for Neck Setting patient expectations prior to FNA to manage anxiety When the laryngeal nerve is severed during thyroid surgery, it