Thyroid Cancer: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
About Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer is cancer where abnormal cells begin to rapidly spread in the thyroid gland of a human body. The thyroid gland is responsible for producing a list of hormones that help in regulating and maintaining the proper way one’s body uses energy in order to work efficiently and effectively.
The thyroid gland is of a butterfly shape and is located on the front side of the neck.
According to statistics, thyroid cancer still remains to be one of the most uncommon forms of cancer, and even if a person suffers from it, they are likely to have a better life span, compared to those diagnosed with other forms of cancer, since thyroid cancer can be detected early and based on that, the treatment too is possible. However, thyroid cancer can also come back years later in a person after s/he had undergone treatment for it.
While there are no established causes of thyroid cancer, there is most definitely one aspect that plays a major role in the development of thyroid cancer, which is the change of DNA in the cells of the body.
These changes can happen because of one reason among two, that is either it is genetically so, or simply because of the person growing older. Additionally, people who have had long term exposure to radiation too are at a higher risk of developing thyroid cancer.
Some of the common symptoms of thyroid cancer include a swelling or lump in the neck of a person, s/he may have trouble when it comes to swallowing their food, the person may have frequent pains in the ears as well as neck, their voice may become more hoarse, and they may also suffer from cough a lot despite not having any cold.
Diagnosis of thyroid cancer can simply be made by conducting a biopsy of the lump in the neck, to check whether it consists of any cancerous cells that are malignant.
Based on the grade and stage of thyroid cancer, treatment options include surgery, wherein the malignant part of the thyroid gland is surgically removed, then radioactive iodine, thyroid stimulating hormone suppression therapy, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.