The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland located in the lower part of our necks. Although small in size, how well the thyroid is working has a huge impact on our health. It has a variety of functions, including regulating our metabolism and production of certain hormones.
Like other parts of the body, the thyroid is vulnerable to several conditions and diseases, such as cancer. Thyroid cancer occurs when malignant cells develop from the various types of cells within the gland. Thyroid Cancer Causes and Risk FactorsThe exact causes of thyroid cancer have yet to be determined, but there are known risk factors for the disease. A risk factor is something that increases the chances a person will develop a disease, but it is not a guarantee. Thyroid cancer risk factors include:
Your doctor may recommend that you have an ultrasound of the thyroid. The ultrasound gives the doctor a more in-depth view of any nodules or lumps. An ultrasound is non-invasive and takes about 15 minutes to complete at a radiologists office or hospital. While an ultrasound is helpful at learning more about thyroid not, it is not a diagnostic tool.
If your doctor suspects thyroid cancer, it is ultimately a biopsy that confirms the presence or absence of cancer. A biopsy involves the sampling of cells from the thyroid to screen for cancer. A thyroid biopsy procedure is called a fine needle aspiration of the thyroid.
Thyroid Cancer TreatmentSurgery is the primary treatment methods for thyroid cancer. A thyroidectomy, the removal of all or part of the thyroid, is performed in just about all cases of thyroid cancer. If nearby lymph nodes are affected, they will be removed as well. For those whose thyroid cancer has not spread beyond the thyroid, surgery may be the only treatment needed. For those whose thyroid cancer has spread, other treatments are necessary.
Radiation therapy can be prescribed to treat thyroid cancer. This type of treatment uses certain types high energy beams of radiation to shrink tumors or eliminate cancer cells. Radiation therapy works by damaging a cancer cell's DNA, making it unable to multiply. Although radiation therapy can damage nearby healthy cells, cancer cells are highly sensitive to radiation and typically die when treated. Healthy cells that are damaged during radiation are resilient and are often able to fully recover.
Chemotherapy may be prescribed to treat aggressive types of thyroid cancer. Chemotherapy drugs work by eliminating rapidly multiplying cancer cells. However, there are other healthy cells in the body that multiply just as quickly, such as hair follicle cells. Unfortunately, many chemotherapy drugs may not be able to discern the two, attacking healthy cells and causing side effects, such as hair loss.
Like other parts of the body, the thyroid is vulnerable to several conditions and diseases, such as cancer. Thyroid cancer occurs when malignant cells develop from the various types of cells within the gland. Thyroid Cancer Causes and Risk FactorsThe exact causes of thyroid cancer have yet to be determined, but there are known risk factors for the disease. A risk factor is something that increases the chances a person will develop a disease, but it is not a guarantee. Thyroid cancer risk factors include:
- being female - thyroid cancer is diagnosed two to three times more often in woman than men
- being Caucasian -- Caucasians develop thyroid cancer more often than other races
- age -- thyroid cancer can develop at any age, but is much more common in those between 20-60
- an iodine deficient diet (not common in the U.S.)
- previous radiation exposure -- exposure can be a result from previous radiation therapy treatment to the head and neck or nuclear fallout
- family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma
- having inherited conditions like Gardner syndrome, Cowden disease, and familial adenomatous polyposis
- a nodule or lump in the area around the Adam's apple
- hoarseness; may come and go or be constant
- pain in the neck or throat
- difficulty swallowing
- swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck
- difficulty breathing
Your doctor may recommend that you have an ultrasound of the thyroid. The ultrasound gives the doctor a more in-depth view of any nodules or lumps. An ultrasound is non-invasive and takes about 15 minutes to complete at a radiologists office or hospital. While an ultrasound is helpful at learning more about thyroid not, it is not a diagnostic tool.
If your doctor suspects thyroid cancer, it is ultimately a biopsy that confirms the presence or absence of cancer. A biopsy involves the sampling of cells from the thyroid to screen for cancer. A thyroid biopsy procedure is called a fine needle aspiration of the thyroid.
Thyroid Cancer TreatmentSurgery is the primary treatment methods for thyroid cancer. A thyroidectomy, the removal of all or part of the thyroid, is performed in just about all cases of thyroid cancer. If nearby lymph nodes are affected, they will be removed as well. For those whose thyroid cancer has not spread beyond the thyroid, surgery may be the only treatment needed. For those whose thyroid cancer has spread, other treatments are necessary.
Radiation therapy can be prescribed to treat thyroid cancer. This type of treatment uses certain types high energy beams of radiation to shrink tumors or eliminate cancer cells. Radiation therapy works by damaging a cancer cell's DNA, making it unable to multiply. Although radiation therapy can damage nearby healthy cells, cancer cells are highly sensitive to radiation and typically die when treated. Healthy cells that are damaged during radiation are resilient and are often able to fully recover.
- Side Effects of Radiation Therapy
- How to Manage Skin Side Effects Caused by Radiation Therapy
Chemotherapy may be prescribed to treat aggressive types of thyroid cancer. Chemotherapy drugs work by eliminating rapidly multiplying cancer cells. However, there are other healthy cells in the body that multiply just as quickly, such as hair follicle cells. Unfortunately, many chemotherapy drugs may not be able to discern the two, attacking healthy cells and causing side effects, such as hair loss.
