20 Oct International Thyroid Cancer Survey

Survey 2010

The Thyroid Cancer Patient Survey* was presented at a Continuing Medical Education session at the International Thyroid Congress in Paris on 11 September 2010:

In March 2010 the TCA conducted a patient survey with nearly 2,400 patient respondents from 40 countries. It was the first joint initiative which unites the TCA’s interests of bringing the patient voice to the medical community.

Here are the highlights from the survey:

93% of respondents indicated they were not offered psychological support at diagnosis

84% were not given details of a patient support organization

45% said that more information would have improved their cancer journey

64% required surgery to get a diagnosis of thyroid cancer

63% were not offered clear written information about thyroid cancer or its treatments at diagnosis

38% of patients reported post-surgical complications of low blood calcium and having voice problems

94% of patients experienced one or all of the following severe symptoms: depression, fatigue, delayed thinking due to hypothyroidism when thyroid hormone replacement therapy was withdrawn

87% of patients who had experienced both withdrawal and rhTSH preferred rhTSH and only 37% of patients were offered rhTSH

Poster (European Thyroid Congress, Paris, September 2010)
Presentation (European Thyroid Congress, Paris, September 2010)
Full survey results (updated 27 October 2010)
* Advisory meetings and survey data management were supported by Genzyme Corporation.