Thyroid cancer is cancer of the thyroid gland. This gland makes thyroid hormone. It is found in the front of the neck. Thyroid gland tumors often appear as bumps in the neck, called nodules. In most cases, thyroid nodules are not cancerous. Those that are cancerous have the potential to spread throughout the body.
There are several types of thyroid cancer, including:
Papillary carcinoma—most common type
Follicular carcinoma—second most common type
Anaplastic carcinoma—rare form of thyroid cancer
Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)—cancer that develops from cells in the thyroid gland called C-cells
Thyroid lymphoma—rare type of thyroid cancer
These factors increase your risk of developing thyroid cancer. Tell your doctor if you have any of these risk factors:
If you have any of these symptoms do not assume it is due to thyroid cancer. These symptoms may be caused by other conditions. Tell your doctor if you have any of these:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history, and perform a physical exam. This may include a careful examination of your neck to look for lumps or abnormalities.
Tests:
Once thyroid cancer is found, staging tests (possibly including CT scans and PET scans ) are done to find out if the cancer has spread. Treatment depends on the stage of the cancer.
Depending on how much of the thyroid gland is removed, you may need to take thyroid hormone pills after surgery.
This uses large doses of radioactive iodine to destroy the thyroid gland and thyroid cancer without affecting the rest of the body. This treatment is used to destroy thyroid tissue not removed by surgery and to treat thyroid cancer that has spread to lymph nodes and other parts of the body.
This is the use of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation is directed at the tumor from a source outside the body.
This is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be given in many forms including: pill, injection, and via a catheter. The drugs enter the bloodstream and travel through the body killing mostly cancer cells, but also some healthy cells. Chemotherapy to treat thyroid cancer is still investigational. Chemotherapy has not been shown to effectively control or kill thyroid cancer.
If you are diagnosed with thyroid cancer, follow your doctor's instructions .
Because the exact cause of thyroid cancer is unknown, finding it early and treating it is the best way to prevent dying from the disease:
Exposure to radiation is a major risk factor for thyroid cancer, therefore:
RESOURCES:
American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org/
Thyroid Cancer
Survivors' Association, Inc.
http://www.thyca.org/
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Canadian Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.ca/
Thyroid Foundation of Canada
http://www.thyroid.ca/
References:
Beers MH, Fletcher AJ. The Merck Manual of Medical Information—Home Edition . New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, Inc.; 2000.
Bonn D. New hope for thyroid cancer. Lancet . 2000 Aug 26;356(9231):742.
General information about thyroid cancer. National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH) website. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/thyroid/patient . Accessed July 2, 2008.
What are the risk factors for thyroid cancer? American Cancer Society website. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_2X_What_are_the_risk_factors_for_thyroid_cancer_43.asp?sitearea= . Updated October 3, 2007. Accessed July 2, 2008.
Ziegler J. What causes thyroid cancer? J Natl Cancer Inst 1997 Dec; 89:1754.
Last reviewed November 2008 by Mohei Abouzied, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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