Thyroid cancer is a disease that you get when abnormal cells begin to grow in your thyroid gland .
Thyroid cancer occurs in the cells of the thyroid – a butterfly-shaped gland found at the base of your neck, just below your Adam’s apple. Your thyroid produces hormones that regulate your heartbeat, blood pressure, body temperature and weight.
The thyroid gland is formed like a butterfly and is located in the front of the neck. It makes hormones that regulate the way in which your body uses energy which help your body work normally.
Thyroid cancer makes up about nearly 2% of all new cancers diagnosed in the usa every year. Over the last 10 years, thyroid cancer has already established a larger increase in incidence than any other type of cancer.
Symptoms of Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer doesn’t always have symptoms, therefore it can be hard to detect and diagnose. Actually, some of the possible symptoms aren’t actually caused by thyroid cancer itself. Instead, these symptoms could be caused by a thyroid nodule-and thyroid nodules aren’t necessarily cancerous.
- Lump in neck (or lump in throat): painless, enlarged nodule; Although not always, sometimes there is a pain.
- Difficulty swallowing, or perhaps a choking feeling
- Difficulty breathing
- Pain in the neck or throat, including pain in the neck to the ears
- Sensitivity within the neck discomfort with neckties, turtlenecks, scarves, necklaces
- Persistent or chronic cough not because of allergies or illness
- Thyroid cancer requires the adjacent tissues (e.g. throat), creating a difficulty
- One or multiple firm or hard, fixed thyroid nodules.
- Swollen lymph nodes in neck.
Learn about Thyroid Cancer
The Causes of Thyroid Cancer
The causes of thyroid cancer aren’t fully understood at present. However, certain things make developing thyroid cancer more likely. The next may increase your risk of developing thyroid cancer.
- Radiotherapy to the neck (especially in childhood)
- Medullary carcinoma is really a cancer of non-thyroid cells that are normally present within the thyroid gland. This form of thyroid cancer has a tendency to occur in families.
- Papillary carcinoma is the most common type, also it usually affects women of childbearing age. It spreads slowly and it is the least dangerous type of thyroid cancer.
- Radiation exposure from nuclear plant disasters
- Other risks are a family history of thyroid cancer and chronic goiter.
Types of Thyroid Cancer
There are four main types of thyroid cancer. They are listed below. Because of the way they develop and therefore are treated, the papillary and follicular types are occasionally grouped together and called differentiated thyroid cancers.
- Anaplastic carcinoma (also known as giant and spindle cell cancer) is easily the most dangerous form of thyroid cancer. It is rare, and spreads quickly.
- Follicular carcinoma is much more likely to come back and spread.
- Medullary carcinoma is really a cancer of non-thyroid cells that are normally present within the thyroid gland. This form of thyroid cancer has a tendency to occur in families.
- Papillary carcinoma is the most common type, also it usually affects women of childbearing age. It spreads slowly and it is the least dangerous type of thyroid cancer.
