This descriptive study was performed using a quantitative approach with the aim to describe the profile of 650 patients with thyroid cancer and thyroidectomy, undergoing radioisotope therapy in the public health service of Florianópolis, from 2004 to 2009. Objectives were reached through the following variables: gender, age, occupation, marital status, origin, and detection of alterations in the thyroid. Most patients (88%) were women, 34.9% had incomplete primary education, and 27.2% had no work outside their home. The detection of the problem or palpation of the thyroid nodule was performed by the patients themselves in 62.9% of the cases, followed by the health professional (28%). In conclusion, although most patients have a low education level and financially underappreciated professions, more than half of them noticed changes in their thyroid.
Thyroid cancer; Radiotherapy; Oncologic nursing; Nursing care
