Key points from today’s guests:

Dr. Erin Buczek, otolaryngologist, The University of Kansas Health System

• There were 43,720 new cases of thyroid cancer in the U.S. in 2023, but it is three times more common in women and often diagnosed at younger ages.
• The thyroid does a lot of very important things in the body. Its main role is all about homeostasis and metabolism. So it plays roles in weight gain, weight loss, heart rate, temperature control, and in women, it controls menses.
• If your thyroid is under functioning, you're going to feel really sluggish and tired and sort of just worn down. And if it's over functioning, it's the opposite. You're going to feel amped up, you can't sleep, you're losing weight, your heart's racing. And so we really want it to be working nice and even right in the middle.
• There are different types of thyroid cancer. The most common type which both ladies had was called papillary thyroid cancer, and that is frequently diagnosed at younger ages.
• But there are other types of thyroid cancer as well. There's another type called follicular thyroid cancer and another type called medullary thyroid cancer, both of which are far less common.
• Surgery is typically the first option for papillary thyroid cancer and it varies on whether we recommend taking out half of the thyroid versus the whole thyroid.
• After surgery, if there are any cancer cells or even normal thyroid cells, the idea is that the radioactive iodine can wipe out whatever is left.

Jennifer Osorio, thyroid cancer patient

• Jennifer found out she had thyroid cancer by accident. When she had the gastric sleeve procedure done, doctors found a stomach tumor when they took part of the stomach out. A PET scan revealed thyroid cancer in her neck.
• She had two surgeries to remove the entire thyroid, but both surgeries went well with an smooth recovery.
• She will be taking the radioactive iodine treatment, but will opt to do so at the hospital instead of at home to be able to isolate herself since it involves radiation.

Lauren Heim, thyroid cancer patient

• In April, Lauren was on a Facetime call with her sister and notice that the area around her necklace looked lumpy and asked her doctor to check it out.
• She found three lumps and one tested positive for thyroid cancer.
• Lauren had surgery and although there was some normal swelling that temporarily affected her vocal cords, she is back to normal now.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, director of infection & prevention control, The University of Kansas Health System

• The hospital is at 24 active COVID infections, which is up from 16 last week.
• the government will send out another batch of COVID tests completely free. All you have to do is fill out a form at COVIDTest.org
• The ability of the home test to pick up the infection does get higher at two to three days after symptom onset.
• If you are COVID positive, it is vitally important to talk with your healthcare provider early to try to get on those oral antivirals to reduce your chance of hospitalization.

Dr. Keith Sale, chief physician executive, Ambulatory Services, The University of Kansas Health System

• Dr. Sale was recently called to Capitol Hill to deliver his thoughts on using artificial intelligence in health care. He testified in front of a Senate subcommittee and said he was already using AI to help take notes during patient meetings.
• Artificial intelligence captures that conversation and puts it into a documentation for doctors to add into the electronic medical record.
• It's really allowed doctors like him to move through the clinic day more efficiently and also to really engage with patients more effectively.
• He doesn't think that AI will replace physicians but it will enhance the work that doctors do.

Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 8 a.m. is the next Open Mics with Dr. Stites. You’ll meet a couple of family members were sports rivals, but one put aside their differences in order to save the life of the other.

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