I am so glad you are finding doctors who are wiling and interested to help you in more caring ways. Congratulations on advocating for yourself!
There are some risk factors for thyroid cancer (and all cancers) that are lifestyle related, hereditary...or neither. Some people have cancer with no increased risk factors; others who do have increased risk factors do not develop cancer. There may have been no trigger for you, or you may have one (or more) of these risk factors below (again, I want to stress that having a risk factor does not mean you are predestined for cancer, just as having no risk factors does not mean you are "immune" from cancer, either).
These factors increase your risk of developing thyroid cancer:
* Diet low in iodine
* History of radiation to the head, neck, or chest, especially in infancy or childhood
* Family history of thyroid cancer
* Sex: female
* Age: 30 and over
* Exposure to radioactive fallout (seen in patients exposed to radiation from nuclear accidents in Europe or as a result of being near nuclear testing during childhood)
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I am so glad you are finding doctors who are wiling and interested to help you in more caring ways. Congratulations on advocating for yourself!
There are some risk factors for thyroid cancer (and all cancers) that are lifestyle related, hereditary...or neither. Some people have cancer with no increased risk factors; others who do have increased risk factors do not develop cancer. There may have been no trigger for you, or you may have one (or more) of these risk factors below (again, I want to stress that having a risk factor does not mean you are predestined for cancer, just as having no risk factors does not mean you are "immune" from cancer, either).
These factors increase your risk of developing thyroid cancer:
* Diet low in iodine
* History of radiation to the head, neck, or chest, especially in infancy or childhood
* Family history of thyroid cancer
* Sex: female
* Age: 30 and over
* Exposure to radioactive fallout (seen in patients exposed to radiation from nuclear accidents in Europe or as a result of being near nuclear testing during childhood)
Please keep us updated after your second opinion!
January 20, 2011 - 10:57amThis Comment
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