The star of the musical “The 10 Commandments”, Ahmed Mouici, has just announced on his Instagram account the cancellation of all his concert dates for the coming months.
“I was diagnosed with a Warthin tumor around my facial nerve which required major surgery. During examinations, thyroid cancer was also detected and a second operation was necessary,” explained the 63-year-old singer on the social network.
The figures for thyroid cancer
According to the National Cancer Institute (INCa), the number of new cases of thyroid cancer in 2018 in mainland France was estimated at 10,665, including 76% among women. The average age at diagnosis is 50 years. It is a cancer with a good prognosis: the 5-year survival rate is 92% in men and up to 98% in women.
As a reminder, the thyroid is an endocrine gland made up of two lobes, located on either side of the trachea, below the larynx. It secretes hormones, including triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine (thyroxine, T4), which ensure the proper functioning of several organs.
Among the risk factors for this cancer, we first observe exposure to radiation, accidental or during treatment, especially in childhood. Familial forms and genetic predispositions have also been identified.
Discovery of thyroid cancer often fortuitous
As the Health Insurance website Ameli.fr explains, thyroid cancer most often does not cause symptoms.
It is often discovered incidentally, for example during a clinical examination, an ultrasound of the neck region, monitoring for a goiter (enlargement of the gland) or a thyroid nodule. or even an intervention for another reason.
Ahmed Mouici explains that his cancer was discovered while he was being treated for a Warthin tumor in the facial nerve. It is a noncancerous tumor of the salivary glands that most often develops in a parotid gland, the largest of the salivary glands. This tumor is removed by surgery.
What are the different thyroid cancers?
So-called differentiated tumors are the most common (90% of cases) and those with the best prognosis. They develop from follicular cells and have two subcategories: papillary cancers (the most common) and follicular cancers.
The pathology examination, carried out from the tissues taken, will determine the form of the cancer. Medullary thyroid cancer, much rarer, is associated with a genetic mutation.
What symptoms?
Symptoms of thyroid cancer may, in some cases, occur. It is
- the appearance of nodules in the thyroid (95% of which are benign);
- the rapid increase of one of them (goiter);
- the appearance of lymph node(s) in the neck;
- voice disorders (hoarseness, bitonality);
- difficulty swallowing, sometimes also breathing.
What are the treatments ?
Surgery is the main treatment for thyroid cancer with a partial or total thyroidectomy and possibly the removal of some nearby lymph nodes. Removal of this endocrine gland requires lifelong hormonal treatment – hormone therapy – to replace the hormones secreted by the thyroid.
Radioactive iodine treatment is often prescribed after an ablation. These are iodine 131 capsules which aim to destroy any remaining thyroid cells, normal or cancerous, after ablation.
Sources: National Cancer Institute, Foundation for Cancer Research, Ameli.fr, Canadian Cancer Society
