Facts About Thyroid Cancer

The thyroid gland is located in the front of the throat and is important because it maintains blood pressure, heart rate and temperature. In addition, the thyroid gland is also involved with weight gain or loss. The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate these important body processes. When cancer occurs, early detection is critical. Thyroid cancer is treated with radiation, chemotherapy, surgery and immunotherapy.

Significance

About 20,000 new cases of thyroid cancer are diagnosed annually.

Age

Most of the people diagnosed with thyroid cancer are over the age of thirty.

Early Stages

Thyroid cancer is silent in the early stages, growing within a nodule on the thyroid, and displaying no symptoms.

Later Stages

Left undiagnosed, later-stage symptoms of thyroid cancer include a sore throat, neck pain, enlarged lymph nodes and hoarseness.

Considerations

Thyroid cancer is more likely to strike women than men; three females to one male will develop this cancer.

Thyroid Nodules

Many people develop thyroid nodules as they age, but less than 1 percent of the nodules become cancerous.

Diagnosis

Thyroid cancer is diagnosed by ultrasound and fine needle aspiration biopsy.

Resources

• Mayo Clinic on thyroid cancer