Many ways to SAVE YOUR THYROID in SARASOTA: Dr. Ralph Tufano and Dr. Juan Camacho
SAVE YOUR THYROID with Jennifer Holkem: Episode #83
Coming up in this episode:
Dr. Ralph Tufano and Dr. Juan Camacho collaborate to bring multiple thyroid nodule treatment options to Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System. These include:
Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
Echolaser Ablation (LA/PLA)
Microwave Ablation (MWA)
Cryoablation
Thyroid Arterial Embolization (TAE)
Traditional thyroid surgery
Scarless thyroid surgery
This episode is a great resource to give general guidance on when each of the nonsurgical treatment options are appropriate. However, individual treatment centers and physician preferences may vary.
Watch this episode on YouTube, or download for offline viewing on YouTube Music!
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Watch this episode on Spotify, or download for offline viewing!
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Watch previous episodes with Dr. Camacho and Dr. Tufano on this playlist: Save Your Thyroid in Sarasota
What is this podcast and blog all about?
To my subscribers, welcome back! If you’re new, welcome to Save Your Thyroid, a podcast and blog all about thyroid nodules. My name is Jennifer Holkem, and I advocate for fellow patients suffering with this very common condition. Thyroid nodules impact 70% of adults in their lifetime, and the standard of care is surgical removal of half or all of the gland. But in recent years, safe and effective non-surgical treatment options have become available.
In this podcast and blog, I sit down with patients and physicians to discuss life with thyroid nodules, treatment options, and how to save the thyroid whenever possible.
Discussion topics in this episode:
A treatment center offering multiple thyroid nodule treatment options, including both surgical and nonsurgical
Summary of each procedure and how each one works.
Insurance or Medicare coverage of each procedure
ATA guidelines for thermal ablation
Growth of the SYT community and strategies to better serve our patients
The future of minimally invasive treatment options for thyroid nodules and cancers
Key Takeaways
Teamwork and collaboration of multiple medical specialties are essential in providing patient-centered care for nodular thyroid disease treatment.
Percutaneous treatment options (extreme heat or cold delivered through a needle) include:
Cryoablation (extreme cold) is predominantly used for thyroid cancer recurrences that are close to critical structures.
Laser ablation shrinks thyroid nodules and small cancers through the use of heat generated thought light transmitted through a very thin fiber, and is successful in treating nodules under 10-15 mls, about 3-4 cm.
Radio frequency ablation (RFA) shrinks thyroid nodules and small cancers through the use of heat. It is typically successful in nodules 4-8 cm.
Microwave ablation (MWA) shrinks thyroid nodules and small cancers through the use of heat, and is typically successful in treating nodules over 8 cm. 20-30 mls.
Larger nodules may need multiple sessions of RFA or Microwave ablation.
Thyroid arterial embolization (TAE) is an endovascular, non-thermal treatment option for shrinking very vascular nodules, toxic (hyperfunctioning) nodules, very large benign nodules over 20-30 mls, or benign nodules extending below the collarbone into the mediastinum.
All of these modalities have different limitations. Some of these modalities can be combined as a dual stage treatment option.
Traditional thyroid surgery and scarless thyroid surgery are available for patients who need surgical treatment for benign and malignant nodules.
Patient expectations and their quality of life are the most important aspects to choosing to treat benign thyroid nodules using nonsurgical techniques. The goal of treatment is to shrink nodules to reduce symptoms, not to completely eliminate the nodule/s.
Nonsurgical Thyroid Cancer Treatment:
Factors such as location and behavior of the nodule should be considered when selecting any treatment approach.
Indeterminate thyroid nodules are not eligible for nonsurgical treatment, because biopsies are unable to determine the behavior/aggressiveness of the nodule.
Active surveillance may be an option for small, well-behaved papillary thyroid cancers. These cancers also may qualify for ablative therapies.
The goal of treating known thyroid cancer, confirmed by biopsy, is complete treatment. Nonsurgical treatment is currently only available for some low-risk primary papillary cancers, up to 1.5 cm in size.
Distant cancer metastases can be treated using thermal ablation therapies. Large, inoperable cancers can be treated palliatively using thermal ablation.
Insurance coverage:
A CPT code for insurance coverage for thyroid RFA is in the process of being created and hopefully will be available by 2025.
Laser ablation currently has a temporary CPT code, which usually is successful for insurance coverage and Medicare coverage.
Thyroid Arterial Embolization (TAE) is usually covered by insurance.
Continual learning and education are crucial for physicians in staying up-to-date with advancements in thyroid disease treatment.
Consensus statements and frameworks provide guidance for the safe adoption of ablative therapies in the medical community.
Patient education and informed decision-making are vitally important in the treatment process.
The goal of this podcast and blog
I seek to provide data, resources, and expert opinions on the topic of thyroid nodules, and make it accessible to patients. When I was first looking for thermal ablation treatment, everything that I read was physician-facing material. It was very hard for me to understand. This material is meant to help patients understand what's going on in their thyroid gland and what an important gland it is. If you can keep your thyroid intact, that's going to help you live a longer, healthier life, and preserve your quality of life. Thanks for reading this far today! — Jen
Connect with Dr. Ralph Tufano:
👉Dr. Ralph Tufanos’s practice:
Sarasota Memorial First Physicians Group: Thyroid and Parathyroid Center
👉Phone: 941-262-0500
👉Website: https://firstphysiciansgroup.com/doctors/tufano-ralph-p-md/
👉Follow Dr. Tufano on LinkedIn
Connect with Dr. Juan Camacho:
👉Dr. Juan Camacho’s practice: Radiology Associates of Florida
👉Phone: 941-552-5500
👉Website: https://radflorida.com/physician/camacho-vasquez-juan-md/
👉Follow Dr. Camacho on LinkedIn
Disclaimer: None of the statements made in this or any other video by "Its me Jen again" should be considered medical advice.
If this post was helpful, please consider leaving a tip. Donations support my advocacy. Thank you!
Visit our community website for more information and find a physician offering nonsurgical treatment options for thyroid cysts, nodules, and cancers!
You can also make a donation to the Save Your Thyroid community via our nonprofit fiscal sponsor ThyCa. Please send an email to donations@thyca.org to designate your gift for SYT. Thanks so much for your support!