The Association of Patients with Thyroid Cancer of Mexico (AMeCat), together with renowned oncologists from Mexico City, met in the Chamber of Deputies to develop the Thyroid Cancer Forum, convened by Deputy Dr. Éctor Jaime Ramírez Beard, secretary of the Health Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, this in the framework of World Thyroid Cancer Day, celebrated on September 24.
Of the 108,064 cases of cancer in 2002 in Mexico, 1,937 were cases of thyroid cancer with a ratio of women and men of 4.4: 1 and a mortality rate of 0.4 per 100,000 inhabitants, therefore, the International Center of Cancer Research places it among the 5 most common cancers in Mexican women, said Dr. Sigfrido Miracle López, coordinator of Endocrinology at the Angeles de las Lomas Hospital.
The lack of information about this type of cancer was emphasized, which, although it is one of the most frequent, is not usually life-threatening in the economically active population, since therapeutic options such as surgery are allied.
Participating patients reported having had many problems to be diagnosed, since the symptoms are confused with neurological problems and take a long time to detect a thyroid cancer and, therefore, the treatment is late.
Arteisa Del Valle, a patient with thyroid cancer, shared that the pain that patients manifest range from bone pain, arrhythmia or heart failure, breathing problems, neck and throat pain, difficulty swallowing, not forgetting the appearance of a lump It can be felt on the skin and hypocalcemia, a calcium deficiency that causes tremors.
The allocation of public resources aimed at public health issues and research, as well as comprehensive psychological therapy during and after surgery and treatment, were the topics on which specialists placed more emphasis.
The forum was attended by Dr. Pablo Antonio Pichardo Romero, nuclear doctor, director of Nuclear Medical Image at the Soilo XXI National Medical Center of the IMSS, Dr. Ernesto Zepeda Castilla, an oncologist surgeon from the October 1 Hospital of ISSSTE and Dr. Karina Cabal Jiménez, medical surgeon member of the AMeCAT medical committee, among others.