September, for most, signals a change in the seasons and a welcome break from the sweltering temperatures of summer. However, this month also serves to raise awareness for a very common cancer that is on the rise in incidence – Thyroid Cancer.
The thyroid is a small, butterfly shaped gland located at the base of your neck and just below your Adam’s apple. It produces hormones that regulate your metabolism. Cancer of the thyroid results when normal cells in the gland begin to divide out of control and form tumors.
Risk Factors
Thyroid cancer occurs in all age groups – from children to seniors and is now the 6th most common cancer in women. It is the most common cancer in women aged 20-34 years.
Until recently, it was the most quickly increasing cancer diagnosis in the United States. Improvements in diagnostic tests, in part, are believed to have led to increased detection of smaller cancers. The increase has dropped from 7% during the 2000s to 1.5% annually from 2011-2015.
Some important risk factors are:
- Gender – Women are diagnosed with 3 of every 4 thyroid cancers.
- Age – Two-thirds of all cases are found in people between the ages of 20-55. Anaplastic thyroid cancer is typically diagnosed after the age of 60. Older infants (10 months or older) and adolescents can develop Medullary Thyroid Cancer (MTC), especially if they carry the RET proto-oncogene mutation.
- Genetics – Some types of thyroid cancers are associated with genetics. An abnormal RET oncogene, which can be passed from parent to child, may cause MTC. Not everyone with an altered RET oncogene will develop cancer, but once the altered oncogene is identified, a doctor may recommend surgery to remove the thyroid gland before cancer develops.
- Radiation Exposure – Exposure to moderate levels of radiation to the head and neck may increase the risk of papillary and follicular thyroid cancers. Exposures may include low to medium-dose x-ray treatments prior to 1950, radiation therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma or other forms of lymphoma in the head/neck, exposure to radioactive iodine or exposure to ionizing radiation.
- Diet Low in Iodine – Iodine is needed for normal thyroid function. In the United States, iodine is added in salt to help prevent thyroid problems.
- Race – White people and Asian people are more likely to develop thyroid cancer.
- Breast Cancer – A recent study showed that breast cancer survivors may have a higher risk of thyroid cancer – especially in the first five years after diagnosis.
While thyroid cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers, it has a 98% 5-year survival rate – that means that of all of the diagnoses, 98% of patients live at least five years after the cancer is found. If the cancer is found to be localized papillary or follicular- the 5-year survival rate increases to 99%.
Symptoms and Signs
Early detection is important for the successful diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer. Some symptoms to look for are:
- A lump in the front of the neck, near the Adam’s apple
- Hoarseness
- Swollen glands in the neck
- Difficulty swallowing
- Difficulty breathing
- Pain in the throat or neck
- A cough that persists and is not caused by a cold
If you are concerned about any changes you experience, please talk with your doctor so that you can work together to determine if there is something more serious going on.
For more details on how to perform the thyroid neck exam at home, click here.
For more detailed information on thyroid cancer, check out Cancer.Net’s Thyroid Cancer Guide.
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