Both the Hammersmith and the Charing Cross Hospitals provide a service for Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) of thyroid masses. These are performed by consultant Histopathologists to ensure a good yield from the FNA and provide immediate interpretation of the cytology.

The department of nuclear medicine on both sites plays a major role in the diagnosis and definitive management of thyrotoxicosis and thyroid carcinoma. The Hammersmith site is a tertiary referral centre for Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia, with many patients referred for the management of medullary cell carcinoma of the thyroid. Professor Graham Williams and Dr Duncan Bassett are experts in both the academic and clinical aspect of thyroid. The thyroidectomies are performed by our dedicated Endocrine Surgeons, Mr. Lynn, Mr Flemming and Mr Palazzo.

They have extensive experience in thyroid surgery. Our endocrine surgeons often take on the most difficult cases, which are often referred by their surgical colleagues from other hospitals.

Thyroid cancer

The Endocrine Surgery Unit at the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust was founded over 40 years ago by Selwyn Taylor and Richard Welbourn. As one of the world's first dedicated departments of endocrine surgery the Unit has developed expertise in the management of all aspects of endocrine surgical pathology including secondary and tertiary referral thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and endocrine pancreatic surgery.

The Unit's internationally trained surgeons: Mr John Lynn, Mr Fausto Palazzo & Mr William Fleming have a large experience in the management of all forms of sporadic and familial thyroid cancer and their experience is reflected by their contribution to peer reviewed world literature in thyroid an other endocrine surgical pathology. Thyroid surgery represents over 70% of all endocrine surgery performed within the Unit. Over 50 thyroid cancers were diagnosed within the Unit in 2005, more than half from outside the local catchment area. We believe this to be the largest thyroid cancer service in London.

Thyroid cancers like other endocrine pathology is managed in a one stop multidisciplinary clinic with on site cytology. The close association with endocrine cytology and pathology, nuclear medicine, interventional radiology and the on site regional Calman Hine Cancer Centre for upper airway cancers services guarantees optimal care for routine thyroid cancers as well as rare locally invasive variants requiring laryngeal and tracheal reconstruction. The mandatory lifelong follow-up with comprehensive annual screening of thyroid cancer is also provided by the multidisciplinary team including not only endocrine surgeons but also endocrinologists specialised in thyroid disease, interventional radiologists, pathologists and geneticists. Indeed thyroid cancer may also occur within the context of inherited multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes (MEN) and the associated parathyroid, adrenal and pancreatic pathologies are managed by the endocrine surgeons using the currently available techniques.

A Unit database of surgical activity exceeds the dataset of the British Association of Endocrine Surgeons (BAES) National Audit, to which members of the unit also contribute. The Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust Endocrine Surgical Unit fulfils the requirements for BAES approved endocrine surgical training for SpRs with an interest in endocrine surgery.