What is the prognosis for papillary cancer post thyroid surgery?
Patient: My son is having thyroid surgery now. It is half over and they have said he has multiple lymph nodes involved. It is papillary cancer. One of my daughters and my husband have also had this cancer. They are fine. No lymph node involvement. What is his prognosis as compared to theirs? And thank you, Audrey Doctor: She needs a radioiodine scan after surgery. Initially a diagnostic scan. If the scan shows uptake, then therapeutic radioiodine scan needs to be done. This will ablate all the remnant tissues. once this is done, she is put on follow up. Papillary carcinoma thyroid has a very good prognosis. Most do not die with this disease. In one series cancer related mortality in non metastatic disease is  only 6% after 16years.