In the News
Thyroid Cancer: Minimally Invasive Surgery Means Good News for Patients
By Gerry Furth-Sides
Thyroid cancer is one of the few cancers on the rise in recent years.
This still reads as positive news, according to surgeon, Dr. Alen Cohen of C/V ENT Surgical Group, a physician who has “dedicated my career to the treatment of thyroid cancer.” The outlook is brighter than with most other forms of cancer, he reports, because “this type of cancer is still considered one of the least deadly and most survivable cancers.”
“The increase in the number of new cases is due in great part to earlier detection with more sophisticated methods of detection,” explains Dr. Cohen, “such as a greater use of advanced imaging techniques such as CT, MRI and ultrasound. These techniques often will identify asymptomatic thyroid nodules earlier that could be deemed cancerous, so we’re catching these cancers at a very early stage.”
Early detection affords “the best chance is to do the initial surgery, a complete surgery up front,” he adds. “Most often after surgery radioactive iodine is necessary to treat any microscopic cancer cells but the success of this is directly dependent on the extent of initial surgery.”
The excellent survival rate is also in great part due the work of thyroid surgeons, and Dr. Cohen is one of those surgeons. Dr. Cohen is Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, who graduated from the school with the highest honors. After deciding to pursue Head and Neck surgery, a specialty at the school, Dr. Cohen “became fascinated with thyroid and parathyroid surgery, and then minimally invasive surgery. I came to learn how to do smaller and smaller incisions until I was doing 1 and ½ incisions.”
Recently, Dr. Cohen was named Director of the Minimally Invasive Thyroid & Parathy-roid Surgery program at West Hills Medical Center, the only program in the San Fernando Valley.
Dr. Cohen is one of a select number of surgeons in the country, and one of only three in the L.A. area that specializes in minimally invasive thyroid and parathyroid surgery. His expertise in facial plastics training provides a special awareness and sensitivity about the cosmetic after effects of surgical incisions.
In addition to a much smaller incision scar, (“the larger incision as done formerly was cosmetically unacceptable,” says Dr. Cohen) minimally invasive surgery results in much less pain and shorter recovery time. Patients can return to work in three to five days as compared to up to two weeks, and their energy levels are up after 7 days.
Patients come to Dr. Cohen through referrals from endocrinologists and internists with more and more reaching him through the internet. Dr. Cohen is quick to add that not everyone is a candidate for minimally invasive surgery. Large goiter, auto-immune thyroid conditions or a difficult anatomy (such as a large neck) are a few examples. “In those instances I use a 3-inch incision,” in those patients reports Dr. Cohen,” which is still smaller than most surgeons.”
In all cases for Dr. Cohen, “I treat my patients like family.”
For even earlier self- detection, Dr. Cohen recommends that everyone consider a self exam or “thyroid check” every six months. This means simply standing in front of the mirror and feeling for any lumps or bumps along the central lower neck that present with swallowing. If anything abnormal is felt, a doctor should be consulted for a full and complete examination.
Self-exams are especially important because, unlike other cancers, there are no consistent risk factors with thyroid cancer other than exposure to a major amount of radiation (medical or otherwise) or thyroid cancer in one’s immediate family, though the disease is not considered genetic or heredity.
September, designated as Thyroid Cancer Awareness month, is a good time to start regular exams. To commemorate the month Dr. Cohen will lead various discussions and community programs to educate the public.
