Thyroid cancer
Thyroid cancer is a raretype of cancer that affects the thyroid gland, a small gland at the base of the neck that produces hormones.
It's most common in people in their 30sand thoseover the age of60. Women are two to three times more likely to develop it than men.
Thyroid cancer is usually treatable and in many cases can be cured completely, although it can sometimes come back after treatment.
This page covers:
Symptoms of thyroid cancer caninclude:
The symptoms canbe causedby less serious causes, such as an enlarged thyroid (goitre) , so it's important to get them checked out.
Your GP will examine your neck and can organise a blood test to check how well your thyroid is working.
If they think you could have cancer or they're not sure what's causing your symptoms, you'll be referred to a hospital specialist formore tests.
They tend to beeasier totreat than the other types.
Thyroid cancer occurs when a change to the DNA inthe cellsin the thyroid causes them to grow uncontrollably and produce a lump.
It's not usually clear what causes this, but there are a number of things that can increase your risk.
These include:
Treatment for thyroid cancer depends on the type of thyroid cancer you have and how far it has spread.
The main treatments are:
After treatment, you'll be advised to have regular appointments to check whether the cancer has comeback.
Around 9 in every 10 people are alive five years after diagnosis. Many of thesearecured and will have a normal lifespan.
But the outlookvaries depending on the type of thyroid cancer and how early it was diagnosed.
For example:
The cancer comes back in another part of the body, such as the lungs or bones, in up toone in four people treated for thyroid cancer. But it can often be treated again if this happens.
Find out about the symptoms of thyroid cancer, why it happens, how it's treated, and what the outlook is.
Find out about the main symptoms of thyroid cancer and when to get medical advice.
Find out about the tests that may be carried out to diagnose thyroid cancer, including blood tests and scans.
Find out about the main treatments for thyroid cancer, including surgery and radiotherapy.