All About Thyroid Cancer

April 16, 2021

Thyroid is shaped like a small butterfly and is found inside the lower front of the neck. It is a gland that happens to control one’s metabolism. The thyroid gland releases hormones that regulate many functions in the body, including how a person uses his/her energy, how the body produces heat, and how it consumes oxygen.

Thyroid cancer develops when the cells start to mutate or change. The abnormal cells begin multiplying in your thyroid and once enough of them have developed, they form a tumor, which in turn develops into thyroid cancer

A thing about thyroid cancer is that, if diagnosed at the early stage, it is one of the most treatable forms of cancer.

Types Of Thyroid Cancer

4 main types of cancer have been identified by the researchers:

Follicular thyroid cancer

It makes up between 10% to 15% out of all thyroid cancers. It may first spread into your lymph nodes and is then more likely to spread into your blood vessels.

Anaplastic thyroid cancer:

It can be one of the most severe cancers since it may aggressively spread into the other parts of the body. It is a rare type of throat cancer and is difficult to treat.

Papillary thyroid cancer

It is one of the most common types of thyroid cancers. Found in almost 80% of all thyroid cancer cases, papillary thyroid cancer tends to grow slowly, but usually spreads to the lymph nodes in the neck. However, a human may have a good chance of full recovery.

Medullary cancer:

It is found among 4% of all the thyroid cancer cases. There are high chances for this cancer to be diagnosed at an early stage since it produces a hormone known as calcitonin, on which, the doctors keep an eye out in the blood test results.

​​​​​​What Are The Symptoms Of Thyroid Cancer?

Thyroid cancer usually shows very few symptoms at the initial stage. Thus, it becomes difficult for people to notice any signs of it in the early stages.

Well, as the thyroid cancer grows, you may notice any of the following below mentioned problem:

  • Neck and throat pain
  • Lump in the neck
  • Problem while swallowing
  • Change in voice and hoarseness
  • Cough

What Causes It?

There is no particular reason as to why people get thyroid cancer. However, there are certain things that can raise your odds of getting it.

Deficiency of iodine:

It is important to include this chemical element in your diet since its absence may put you at risk for certain types of thyroid cancer.

Inherited genetic syndromes.

There are certain conditions that come from the DNA of parents and cancer is one of them. Almost every 2 out of 10 medullary thyroid cancer cases are the result of an abnormal gene inherited from parents.

Radiation exposure.

If the neck and head were ever exposed to radiation treatment.

​​​​​​Who Gets It?

  • Thyroid cancer is not that common among men but women. Women usually tend to get it in their 40s and 50s, while men get it in their 60s or 70s.
  • Follicular thyroid cancer tends to happen more among whites than blacks and is more common among women.
  • Younger people may also get thyroid cancer and papillary thyroid cancer happens mostly among people between the age of 30 and 50.

​​​​​​Is It Treatable?

Thyroid cancer is treatable. There are effective treatments that give you a great chance for a full recovery.

At Sohana hospital, the oncology department is equipped with all kinds of diagnostic facilities for cancer patients. The department has added HD PET-CT Scanner as another asset for in-depth diagnosis of Cancer. So, you get the best treatment by a renowned and experienced team of doctors.

We have multidisciplinary cancer care units set up in the department for smooth functioning and better patient care.

Sohana Cancer Research Institute