Oncology

Endocrine Cancer

Endocrine cancer care starts with clear diagnostic answers and continues with leading-edge treatment and ongoing support.

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Endocrine Cancer Care You Can Trust

The Christ Hospital Health Network is home to some of the area’s most respected endocrine cancer experts. Our team has the training and experience to treat rare and complex endocrine and neuroendocrine tumors.

Personalized Care for a Better Outcome

We know that medical treatments are just one piece of the care you need. When you choose us for endocrine cancer care, you’ll receive one-on-one attention and personalized care in a supportive setting. Our multidisciplinary tumor board collaborates across specialties to provide thoughtful diagnosis, treatment and long-term management.

Unmatched Treatment Access

Getting care shouldn’t feel complicated. Our team performs fine-needle aspiration biopsies and molecular testing to provide clear answers and help you avoid repeat procedures. You can complete many thyroid cancer treatments at a single convenient location. If surgery is part of your plan, our team stays with you through hormone replacement and follow-up care.

Robust Support Services

You can complement your treatment with our diverse support services, including nutrition consultations, integrative medicine programs, financial counseling, stress management, transportation, Tai Chi classes, music therapy, pet therapy and support group referrals.

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Overview

Your endocrine system is a network of glands throughout your body. These glands produce hormones that regulate important bodily functions, including your mood, metabolism, growth, and sleep.

Some of the major glands that make up your endocrine system include:

Thyroid gland—the butterfly-shaped gland in your neck that produces hormones to control metabolism.
Pituitary gland—often called the “master gland,” it releases hormones that help regulate the ovaries, testes, thyroid and other glands.
Adrenal glands—you have two adrenal glands, one on top of each kidney. They produce hormones such as corticosteroids and epinephrine, which regulate your body’s response to stress.
Pancreas—the gland behind your stomach that produces insulin and glucagon hormones to maintain blood sugar levels.
Parathyroid glands—four tiny glands in your neck that regulate your body’s calcium levels.

Special neuroendocrine cells make up your endocrine glands. If these cells are damaged or begin to multiply rapidly, they may form tumors.

There are many kinds of endocrine and neuroendocrine tumors. Each affects different glands and hormones, so symptoms can vary. If you feel unwell and can’t pinpoint why, talk to your primary care provider. They can order the right diagnostic tests.

Research & Clinical Trials

Clinical trials give you access to promising new cancer treatments before they’re widely available.

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Getting an Accurate Diagnosis

Maybe you’ve noticed your voice becoming hoarse or felt a painful lump in your neck. Perhaps your blood sugar keeps spiking, but you don’t have diabetes. When new symptoms appear without a clear cause, you want answers. Our specialists use advanced tools to diagnose endocrine cancer and rule out conditions with similar symptoms. These tests may include:

Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy

Your doctor uses a thin needle to remove a small sample from a thyroid nodule to test for cancer. In some cases, they may drain fluid from a thyroid cyst to relieve symptoms.

Reflexive Molecular Testing

This testing analyzes your thyroid nodule for specific gene changes linked to thyroid cancer. The results can help inform personalized treatment decisions.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

An MRI uses powerful magnets to create detailed images of soft tissues inside your body. You may receive a contrast dye to show certain areas more clearly. The images help your doctor evaluate tumors and see whether the cancer has spread.

Combined Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) Scan

This scan combines two imaging tests to show the activity and structure of your thyroid. You’ll receive a small amount of tracer that helps highlight overactive cells.

Sestamibi Parathyroid Scan

This test helps your doctor locate abnormal or cancerous tissue in the parathyroid glands. You’ll receive a small amount of radioactive liquid (sestamibi) that highlights overactive areas on the images.

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Endocrine Cancer Treatment

Our multidisciplinary cancer care team includes experts in endocrinology, medical oncology, radiation oncology and surgery. Together, we create a coordinated and personalized plan to treat your cancer and address hormone imbalances.

Your treatment depends on your specific tumor type and stage. Even if you didn’t receive an early diagnosis, we offer advanced options for cancers that have spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.

You may receive a combination of medical, surgical or radiation therapies, including:

Chemotherapy

These drugs kill cancer cells to slow or stop disease progression.

Radiation Therapy

Our team uses radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. In external radiation therapy, a machine outside your body aims radiation at the tumor. In internal radiation therapy, we place tiny capsules of radioactive material into a tumor.

Radiosurgery

This targeted treatment delivers precise doses of radiation to endocrine tumors while protecting nearby healthy tissue. We were among the first hospitals in the region to offer radiosurgery with the Varian Edge system. This technology allows us to treat complex tumors in fewer sessions and track them in real time.

Robotic-Assisted Surgery

Using a robotic arm, our surgeons perform complex procedures to remove thyroid tumors. We make the smallest incisions possible to support a faster recovery.