Comprehensive Cancer Centers celebrates Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month and its great opportunity to increase awareness about the disease.
The medical team at Comprehensive Cancer Centers finds that Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month provides a great opportunity to increase awareness about the disease. Awareness leads to becoming more knowledgeable of what the gland does for keeping the body healthy, how to identify symptoms for thyroid cancer and learning more about how to reduce risks for cancer in general.
If the thyroid is not functioning properly, the body may not effectively break down proteins and process carbohydrates and vitamins. For many with thyroid issues, challenges can present with weight management, which can require medication and dietary modifications to control. The thyroid carries significant responsibilities relative to its small size, with thyroid cancer a major health concern.
This cancer develops when the body’s cells change or mutate. The abnormal cells begin multiplying in your thyroid ultimately forming a tumor. If caught early, thyroid cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer.
Women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with this cancer with most cases appearing in patients in their 40s and 50s. Men diagnosed mostly get the cancer later, usually while in their 60s or 70s. Follicular thyroid cancer also happens more often in Caucasians than in African Americans. This cancer can affect younger patients between the ages of 30 and 50, that age group should be aware of signs and symptoms.
What Are Signs and Symptoms?
Unfortunately, there are not many standard symptoms in the beginning stages of thyroid cancer. As the cancer grows; however, you may notice the following problems: persistent neck and throat pain, lumps in your neck where the thyroid gland is found, difficulty swallowing, vocal changes, and hoarseness, and Coughs that don’t go away. Given these symptoms can be dismissed as other ailments, even as a cold, it’s important to keep an eye on them if they linger and get an examination if that’s the case.
Researchers have identified four primary types of thyroid cancers:
- Papillary – The most common type of thyroid cancer with 80% of all thyroid cancer being papillary thyroid cancer. This cancer grows slowly, but often spreads to nymph nodes in the neck.
- Follicular – Follicular thyroid cancer makes up between 10% and 15% of all thyroid cancer diagnoses. This cancer can spread into your lymph nodes and is more likely to spread into your blood vessels.
- Medullary – This cancer is found in fewer than 5% of all its cancer diagnoses and is likely to be found at an early stage through the hormone called calcitonin, which doctors monitor in blood test results.
- Anaplastic – This is usually the most severe type of cancer, due to how aggressively it spreads to other parts of the body. It’s rare, and it is the most challenging to treat.
What Can Cause It?
While there are no specific reasons why people get the cancer, certain risk factors have been identified that provide some guidance as to why the disease may occur in certain people and groups:
- Inherited Genetic Syndromes. In 20% of medullary thyroid cancer, the cancer is a result of an abnormal gene that’s been inherited.
- Iodine Deficiency. While rare in the United States, some patients may get thyroid cancer from iodine deficiency (or lack of salt).
- Radiation Exposure. If exposed to radiation to your head or neck, thyroid cancers risks may be elevated.
The only sure way to be diagnosed with this disease is to have a blood test performed by your primary physician that measures thyroid hormone levels. It is also can be recommended for those over 60 years of age or older have a thyroid-stimulating hormone test administered. This test measures if the gland is functioning properly. Should thyroid cancer be found, there are various forms of treatment including medication, iodine, hormones, therapy and surgery. Treatment depends on the type of disease that is occurring and will be customized by your Comprehensive Cancer Centers care team.
Comprehensive Cancer Centers Can Help
Physicians at Comprehensive Cancer Centers provide a variety of treatment options for cancer including: chemotherapy, radiation therapy and clinical research for the treatment of cancer. To schedule an appointment with the team at Comprehensive, please call 702-952-3350.
The content is this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
