Why Choose the University of Colorado Cancer Center for Thyroid Cancer Treatment

We Specialize in Thyroid Cancer

There are more than 100 different types of cancer. To ensure that we are always leading care at the cutting edge, UCCC has expert teams, each specializing in a small number of different cancer types. Our Endocrine Neoplasm team is uniquely qualified to treat thyroid cancer.

• Our team is a highly successful multidisciplinary clinical group that includes outstanding endocrinologists, surgical oncologists, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists
• We specialize only in the treatment of thyroid cancer
• We are supported by world experts in the microscopic classification of cancers and experts in the interpretation of X-rays, CTs, PET/CTs and other scans
• We offer second opinions on thyroid cancer
• Through our involvement in clinical trials, we have access to many new treatments, including the latest drugs and vaccines for treating thyroid cancer

We’re One of the Top Cancer Centers in the Nation

An NCI-designated center

The University of Colorado Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Rocky Mountain region. This means we are recognized as one of the leading centers in the nation for cancer research, treatment, prevention and education.

Our doctors and scientists develop innovative treatments for cancer, and our patients benefit by having access to these and other promising treatments before they are available elsewhere.

Our NCI status and the fact that we are an academic medical center also mean that:

• We manage the most complicated cases in the region with advanced treatments and approaches to care.
• We are continually participating in clinical trials, or studies, that use volunteers to test new cancer drugs, treatments or new uses of approved drugs or treatments for head and neck cancer.

We're the Experts You Want

Our dedicated team of doctors, research scientists, nurses and other health care professionals are recognized experts in the field of treating thyroid cancer.

Our center features many state-of-the-art tests and treatments as well as experts in these areas, including:

• Sensitive serum thyroglobulin testing. Thyroglobulin is made only by thyroid cells and thyroid cancer cells
• National experts in sensitive ultrasound examination of the neck and biopsies of abnormal tissue
• Expertise in alcohol ablation (removal) of recurrent cancer for some patients who have had multiple neck surgeries
• Nuclear medicine specialists who have expertise in radioiodine treatment using dosimetry-a special technique to calculate doses of radioiodine that are most effective and safest for the patient
• The use of recombinant human thyroid stimulating hormone (Thyrogen®) and some treatment to give patients an alternative to thyroid hormone withdrawal for necessary tests
• Highly individualized computerized treatment planning for three-dimensional radiation treatment using IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy), which delivers the highest treatment dose to tumors while sparing normal tissue
• Radiation therapists who are skilled in re-irradiation, if needed, and are also experts in stereotactic

We Communicate Regularly about Your Case

Your medical team meets weekly so we can work together to evaluate your case, plan and deliver treatment, manage side effects and support you after your treatment is completed.

We also have a dedicated clinical care coordinator to facilitate specialty care.

We Offer the Region's Only Multidisciplinary Thyroid Cancer Clinics and Conferences

This includes:

• Parallel clinics with surgeons and endocrinologists for rapid team consultations.
• The nation's only joint thyroid oncology clinic (staffed by endocrinologists and oncologists) to care for patients with thyroid cancer.
• A multidisciplinary conference to discuss team management of patients with thyroid cancer.

We Offer Access to Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Some patients choose to complement their medical treatment with lifestyle changes and other benefits available through our doctor-led Center for Integrative Medicine.

We Offer Comprehensive Patient Support

You will find the support you need through the Monfort Cancer Resource Center, our membership in the Lance Armstrong Foundation LIVESTRONG Centers of Excellence Program, and the Cancer Information and Counseling Line.

We are Research Leaders

The doctors on our team are national leaders in clinical research studies that seek to improve treatment effectiveness and minimize side effects, including:

• Ongoing studies of molecular markers to determine if thyroid nodules are cancerous before surgery
• Laboratory studies of new treatments for thyroid cancer
• Clinical studies of novel treatments for patients

We are Leaders in Cancer Survivorship

We are one of seven national members of the LIVESTRONG Lance Armstrong Foundation Survivorship Center of Excellence Network, which is a joint effort to:

• provide essential cancer survivorship services
• increase the effectiveness of survivorship care through research, development of new services and sharing of best practices
• harness the expertise and experience of leading medical centers to significantly increase progress in the field of cancer survivorship