Thyroid Cancer Episodes

Thyroid ablation vs surgery: how do you know which is right for you? Ablation has transformed care for thyroid nodule patients, but it isn't the answer for everyone. Dr. David Goldenberg, Professor and Chair of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Penn State Health, performs both thyroid surgery and ablation. He joins Jennifer Holkem to explain when ablation works best, when surgery is still the right call, and why a large thyroid cancer can't simply be ablated. We also cover multinodular goiter, whether a nodule can be "too small" to treat, Hashimoto's, and the one question almost no patient asks their doctor. "Ablation is a tool. It's not a philosophy." — Dr. David Goldenberg Connect with Dr. Goldenberg: https://www.pennstatehealth.org/services-treatments/radiofrequency-ablation Find a physician: https://www.saveyourthyroid.org/ This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.

Most patients with low-risk papillary thyroid cancer are told there are only two paths: surgery, or active surveillance. A first-in-human clinical trial at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System and MD Anderson Cancer Center is testing whether a third option exists. Researchers are evaluating nsPFA (nanosecond pulsed field ablation) — already FDA-cleared for benign thyroid nodules — to determine whether it can safely and effectively treat papillary thyroid microcarcinoma without surgery and without thermal damage. The research is led by Dr. Ralph Tufano, Thyroid & Parathyroid Surgeon at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, and Dr. Victoria Banuchi, Associate Professor of Head & Neck Surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Tufano reached out personally to help spread awareness of the trial to patients who may qualify. Currently, patients with low-risk papillary thyroid cancer are typically offered surgery, which removes part or all of the thyroid, or active surveillance, which m…

Does nsPFA actually last? Until now, that question didn't have a real answer. In this episode, Professor Stefano Spiezia joins Jennifer Holkem to break down the 22-month durability data on nsPFA — non-thermal pulsed field ablation for thyroid nodules — presented at the 2026 NASIT meeting in Portland. Professor Spiezia is head of the Division of Endocrine and Ultrasound Guided Surgery at the Sea Hospital in Naples, Italy, and conducted the first-in-human feasibility study of nsPFA for thyroid nodules. He's also director of the Save Your Thyroid International School for Interventional Thyroid Procedures. In this episode, they cover: ✅ The 22-month durability data: zero nodule regrowth, 74% average volume reduction, and no serious adverse events ✅ How nsPFA works differently from RFA and microwave ablation — a non-thermal mechanism that triggers regulated cell death instead of burning tissue ✅ Why nsPFA nodules kept shrinking over time instead of plateauing, unlike thermal ablat…

If you've just been told you have a thyroid nodule — or thyroid cancer — you're probably sitting with more fear than facts right now. Most patients are handed a referral and left to fill in the blanks alone, often without ever hearing the basic odds that would change how frightening this moment feels. In this solo episode, I'm sharing what I wish someone had told me on the day I was diagnosed. 🎧 We're covering: The real odds — what percentage of thyroid nodules are actually benign Why nodules are so common, and why most people never know they have one What your ultrasound results mean (the TIRADS system) What a biopsy result actually tells you, and how reliable a benign result really is Why a diagnosis doesn't automatically mean surgery — from active surveillance to non-surgical ablation My own diagnosis story, and what happened when my nodule was dismissed for years My own nodule was found by accident, dismissed by my ENT, and left untreated until it grew large enoug…

What if the surgeon sitting across from you told you that your thyroid cancer is not urgent — and that you have time to think, research, and explore all your options before committing to anything? That's exactly what Dr. Melanie Goldfarb tells her patients. And she's an endocrine surgeon. Dr. Goldfarb is a fellowship-trained endocrine surgeon, Professor of Surgery, and Director of the Center for Endocrine Tumors and Disorders at St. John's Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, California. As one of the first physicians on the West Coast to offer in-office RFA, she performs surgery AND ablation — so her recommendation reflects what's right for each patient, not the limits of what she can offer. In this episode she covers the full landscape of thyroid nodule and cancer treatment — from realistic RFA expectations to a combination approach that saves half a thyroid. In this episode: What realistic RFA volume reduction looks like — 50% is success but she aims for 70-80% Why goi…

In this episode, Dr. James Suliburk and Dr. Ray Grogan discuss the advancements in thyroid care, particularly focusing on radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for treating thyroid nodules and papillary thyroid cancer. They explore the evolution of RFA in the US, the safety concerns surrounding the procedure, and the importance of patient-centered care and shared decision-making. The conversation also delves into the criteria for RFA candidacy, the role of molecular testing in thyroid care, and the challenges of conducting randomized controlled trials in this field. The episode concludes with insights into the future of non-surgical thyroid care and the importance of finding experienced clinical teams for optimal patient outcomes.

Today's guest is Dr. Rebecca Warren. At 19, Dr. Rebecca was diagnosed with follicular variant papillary thyroid carcinoma and had a complete thyroidectomy with high dose radiation. After having her thyroid removed, she thought the problem was fixed, until a few years down the road when she began to suffer from hormone issues that doctors would write off because her labs all looked normal. She suffered with depression, anxiety, weight loss resistance, and period issues with no help on how to get better. It wasn't until she decided to draw a line in the sand that no doctor was going to know more about her body than her, did her health transform. She has spent the last two decades studying the literature, implementing protocols, using the most up-to-date functional labs and testing, and ancestral tools like fasting and diet variation to not only take back her health, but to help thousands of men and women avoid losing their thyroid and for those that had their thyroid removed, actually h…

In today’s episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with my good friend and mentor, Gary Bloom. Gary is the executive director of the nonprofit organization ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors Association, which he founded in 1995 after his own battle with thyroid cancer. In today’s conversation, we’re going to talk all about ThyCa’s upcoming annual conference, and how my patient organization, Save Your Thyroid (SYT) will be partnering with them in this effort. Register for the 26th International T...