Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer is cancer of the hormone-producing organ that helps control weight, blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature. Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common type, and it does not grow rapidly or spread quickly to surrounding tissue. Less common is follicular thyroid cancer, which can travel to other areas of the body. Medullary and anaplastic are rare forms of thyroid cancer. Nearly 50,000 new cases of thyroid cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year and have a five-year survival rate approaching 100%. It usually occurs in people aged 20 to 55 and is more common in women. Risk factors include occupational radiation exposure, diets low in iodine, a family history of thyroid cancer, and being of Asian descent. Symptoms include neck and throat pain, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, and a bump or lump on the neck. Thyroid cancer treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, radioactive iodine, hormone therapy, or a combination of these.