thyroid cancer
Sign in to saveendocrine gland cancer located in the thryoid gland located in the neck below the thyroid cartilage
Key facts
- Specialty
- Oncology
- Symptoms
- Swelling or lump in the neck
- Risk factors
- Radiation exposure, enlarged thyroid , family history, obesity
- Diagnostic method
- Ultrasound , fine needle aspiration
- Differential diagnosis
- Thyroid nodule , metastatic disease
- Treatment
- Surgery, radiation therapy , chemotherapy , thyroid hormone , targeted therapy , watchful waiting
- Prognosis
- Five year survival rates 98% (US)
- Frequency
- 3.2 million (2015)
- Deaths
- 31,900 (2015)
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
Thyroid cancer is cancer that develops from the tissues of the thyroid gland. It is a disease in which cells grow abnormally and have the potential to spread to other parts of the body. Symptoms can include swelling or a lump in the neck, difficulty swallowing or voice changes including hoarseness, or a feeling of something being in the throat due to mass effect from the tumor. However, most cases are asymptomatic. Cancer can also occur in the thyroid after spread from other locations, in which case it is not classified as thyroid cancer.
Risk factors include radiation exposure at a young age, having an enlarged thyroid, family history and obesity. The four main types are papillary thyroid cancer, follicular thyroid cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, and anaplastic thyroid cancer. Diagnosis is often based on ultrasound and fine needle aspiration. Screening people without symptoms and at normal risk for the disease is not recommended.