Dr. Williams, Medical Director at the South Florida Proton Therapy Institute, SFPTI, was interviewed live on TV answering questions about thyroid cancer. A local viewer had spotted swelling in the neck of a South Florida TV reporter while she was reporting and the story has gone viral. Dr. Williams was asked to comment on the commonness of thyroid cancer, the symptoms to look out for, and how it’s treated.
Victoria Price of WFLA-TV in Tampa was alerted to a potential health condition by a viewer who saw a lump on her neck while she was on the air. The journalist posted to Twitter saying that a thyroid cancer survivor emailed her last month suggesting the lump resembled the one they had before being diagnosed.
“‘A bit of personal news to share. Turns out, I have cancer,” Price posted. Her doctor at Tampa General Hospital removed her thyroid and a few surrounding lymph nodes and Price has made a full recovery.
[ Link to Twitter and relevant pinned tweet: https://twitter.com/wflavictoria ]
The first symptom people notice is usually an asymmetrical swelling in the neck where it can be difficult to swallow food or breathe. A small biopsy will be needed to establish the diagnosis and the surgery is routine. Thyroid cancer is more common in women, particularly women aged 30-60, and has a high survival rate when treated.
[ Link to interview: https://mms.tveyes.com/MediaCenterPlayer.aspx?u=aHR0cDovL21lZGlhY2VudGVyLnR2ZXllcy5jb20vZG93bmxvYWRnYXRld2F5LmFzcHg%2FVXNlcklEPTc4NzMwJk1ESUQ9MTM1NTg3NjMmTURTZWVkPTkwODYmVHlwZT1NZWRpYQ%3D%3D ]
SFPTI has the most advanced, safest, and effective cancer treatment available in South Florida. These radiation therapy treatments are a huge leap forward in healthcare and provide a cutting-edge approach to treatment. SFPTI has the areas only proton cyclotron – one of only 34 in the country. This is where the future of science and patient care come together.
