Thyroid Cancer Health Article

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Table of Contents

Definition Description Demographics Causes and symptoms Diagnosis Treatment team Clinical staging, treatment and prognosis Coping with cancer treatment Clinical trials Prevention Special concerns Biopsy Calcitonin Chemotherapy Hormone therapy Hyperthyroidism Hypothyroidism Lobectomy Radiation therapy Total thyroidectomy QUESTIONS TO ASK THE DOCTOR

Author Info: Lata Cherath Ph.D., Kulbir Rangi DO, The Gale Group Inc., Gale, Detroit, Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer, 2002

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Definition

Thyroid cancer is a disease in which the cells of the thyroid gland become abnormal, grow uncontrollably and form a mass of cells called a tumor.

Description

The thyroid is a hormone-producing, butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck at the base of the throat. It has two lobes, the left and the right. The thyroid uses iodine, a mineral found in some foods, to make several of its hormones. Thyroid hormones regulate essential body processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, metabolism, and affect the nervous system, muscles and other organs. These hormones also play an important role in regulating childhood growth and development.

Thyroid cancers
Thyroid cancer type	Characteristics	Prognosis
Papillary	60-80% of thyroid cancers Slow-growing cancer in hormone-producing cells	90% of patients will live for 15 years or longer after diagnosis
Follicular	30-50% of thyroid cancers Found in hormone-producing cells	90% of patients will live for 15 years or longer after diagnosis
Medullary	5-7% of thyroid cancers Found in calcitonin-producing cells Difficult to control as it often spreads to other parts of the body	80% of patients will live for at least 10 years after surgery
Anaplastic	2% of thyroid cancers Fastest growing Rapidly spreads to other parts of the body	3-17% of patients will survive for five years

Types of thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer is grouped into four types based on how its cells appears under a microscope. The types are papillary, follicular, medullary and anaplastic thyroid cancers. They grow at different rates and can spread to other parts of the body if left untreated.

PAPILLARY.

The papillary type (60%-80% of all thyroid cancers) is a slow-growing cancer that develops in the hormone-producing cells that contain iodine.

FOLLICULAR.

The follicular type (30%-50% of thyroid cancers) also develops in the hormone-producing cells.

MEDULLARY.

The medullary type (5%-7% of all thyroid cancers) develops in the parafollicular cells (also known as the C cells) that produce calcitonin, a hormone that does not contain iodine.

ANAPLASTIC.

The fourth type of thyroid cancer, anaplastic (2% of all thyroid cancers), is the fastest growing, most aggressive thyroid cancer type.

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Thyroid Cancer

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