Multidisciplinary team (MDT) for thyroid cancer

The MDT for thyroid cancer will usually include:

• Surgeon – a doctor who does operations (surgery).
• Oncologist – a cancer doctor who specialises in radioactive iodine treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy
• Endocrinologist – a doctor who treats problems with the endocrine system and hormones.
• Clinical nurse specialist (CNS) – a nurse who gives information about cancer, and support during treatment.
• Radiologist – a doctor who looks at scans and x-rays to diagnose problems.
• Nuclear medicine specialist – a doctor who analyses tests and scans that use radioactive substances, such as a thyroid scan.
• Pathologist – a doctor who looks at cells or body tissue under a microscope to diagnose cancer.

It may also include other healthcare professionals, such as:

• a speech and language therapist – someone who gives information and support to people who have problems talking and swallowing
• a dietitian – someone who gives information and advice about food and food supplements
• a physiotherapist – someone who gives advice about exercise and mobility
• a psychologist or counsellor – someone who gives advice about managing feelings and behaviours.

We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.

We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:

• use plain English
• explain medical words
• use short sentences
• use illustrations to explain text
• structure the information clearly
• make sure important points are clear.

We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.

You can read more about how we produce our information here.