How to Understand Thyroid Cancer24 May
What is thyroid cancer?
Thyroid cancer is found in the cells of the thyroid, which is found below your Adam’s apple. The thyroid creates hormones that help regulate your blood pressure, heart rate, weight, and body temperature,
Thyroid cancer is not a common cancer found in the US. On the other hand, over 37,000 people are diagnosed with thyroid cancer every year.
Types of thyroid cancer
There are different types of thyroid cancer, which include papillary thyroid cancer, follicular thyroid cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, anaplastic thyroid cancer and thyroid lymphoma.
Papillary Thyroid cancer is the most common type of thyroid cancer, which can occur at any age but is often seen in individuals in the age range of 30 to 50.
Follicular thyroid cancer, which includes Hurthle cell cancer, is often found in individuals over the age of 50.
Medullary thyroid cancer is linked with inherited genetic syndromes.
Anaplastic thyroid cancer is a rare type of thyroid cancer that is often found in individuals over the age of 60.
Thyroid lymphoma is a thyroid cancer that begins in the immune system cells found in the thyroid occurring mainly in individuals over the age of 70.
Causes of thyroid cancer
There is no known cause of thyroid cancer, however, there are risk factors associated with the disease. The risk factors include exposure to high levels of radiation, personal history of goiter (non-cancerous enlargement of the thyroid), family history of goiter, inherited genetic syndromes such as multiple endocrine neoplasia, familial adenomatous polyposis, and familial medullary thyroid cancer.
Symptoms of thyroid cancer
In the early stages of thyroid cancer, there are no symptoms or signs. As the cancer grows symptoms, do appear including a lump in the neck that can be felt through the skin, changes in the voice, problems swallowing, pain in the neck, pain in the throat, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
Treatment options for thyroid cancer
Treatment for thyroid cancer depends of the type of thyroid cancer you may have as well as the stage of the cancer, your health, and your own personal preferences. The most common treatment is surgery such as throidectomy, which removes the thyroid, and in some cases the removal of the lymph nodes in the neck,
After surgery in many cases, the patient will be given thyroid hormone medication.
Radioactive iodine treatment is another treatment often used for thyroid cancer, which will attack any of the cancer cells that were missed during surgery. Often this oral medication also helps to stop the spread of the disease or the reoccurrence.
Prevention of thyroid cancer
Since there is no known cause of thyroid cancer, preventing the cancer is never 100 percent, however, avoiding risk factors can lower your chances. For individuals that have inherited gene mutation, surgery to remove the thyroid is an option. Avoid living near nuclear power plants. If you do live within 10 miles of a nuclear power plant in the US, you may be able to receive a mediation that can block the effects of the radiation.
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