Is Papillary Thyroid Cancer Curable?

Papillary: Up to 80% of all thyroid cancers are papillary. This cancer type grows slowly. Although papillary thyroid cancer often spreads to lymph nodes in the neck, the disease responds very well to treatment. Papillary thyroid cancer is highly curable and rarely fatal.

What is the survival rate for papillary thyroid cancer?

The 5-year survival rate for regional papillary thyroid cancer is 99%. For regional follicular cancer, the rate is 97%, and for regional medullary cancer, the rate is 91%. For regional anaplastic thyroid cancer, the rate is 10%.

Can papillary thyroid cancer go away on its own?

No thyroid cancer will go away on its own, but this information will help us better determine which patients we should treat and which ones we can safely monitor. One day, more research and more data may make that possible.