Identification
Thyroid tissue is comprised of follicular cells and parafollicular cells. "Most of the thyroid tissue consists of the follicular cells, which secrete iodine-containing hormones called thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3)," according to The University of Maryland Medical Center.
Significance
After papillary, follicular thyroid cancer is the second-most common form of the disease. It constitutes approximately 15 to 25 percent of cases.
Types of Treatment
Non-invasive forms of thyroid follicular cancer treatment include oral consumption of radioactive iodine or chemotherapy medication designed to kill cancerous cells. Additionally, external radiation therapy may be used to beam radiation from a machine directly onto the thyroid.
Surgery
Should these options fail to place the cancer into remission, removal of the thyroid gland (thyroidectomy) will be necessary. There is some controversy as to whether total or partial removal of the gland is necessary. Most physicians prefer to err on the side of caution and extract the entire thyroid.
Considerations
Those who undergo a thyroidectomy will need to receive hormone replacement therapy for life. "The goal of thyroid hormone treatment is to closely replicate normal thyroid functioning," says The American Thyroid Association. This is achieved through daily consumption of a small pill.
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