Thyroid cancer is a cancer that originates from the cells of the thyroid gland. This cancer is much less common than others and the prognosis of the disease is quite good. If correct diagnosis and treatment is applied, the disease can be completely eliminated. Thus, a person can live for a long time. Its prevalence in the society is 4.2%. The lifetime risk of thyroid cancer in women is approximately 0.7% and in men it is 025%. As can be seen from these percentages, it is a rare cancer. 12 thousand new cases of thyroid cancer occur every year in the USA.
Thyroid cancer is not a single type. It is divided into 4 groups in order of frequency: papillary cancer, follicular cancer, medullary cancer and anaplastic cancer.
THYROID CANCER TYPES
- Papillary cancer: It is a cancer that generally progresses well. Nearly 80% of all thyroid cancers are papillary cancer. It may not cause symptoms and remain in the thyroid gland for many years. The patient may not have any complaints in this case. It can be seen at any age and progresses better in young people. It occurs most often in the 40s. It can spread to other organs of the body. In this case, the course of the disease is worse.
- Follicular cancer:It is the most common thyroid cancer after papillary cancer. However, its incidence is much lower than that of papillae. This cancer can also spread. It often spreads to the membrane of the thyroid gland and the vein. If it spreads to the membrane, its course is better than if it spreads to the veins. This type of cancer most commonly spreads to the lungs and bones. There is also the possibility of spread to neighboring structures, such as the trachea. It occurs most often after the age of 50. Follicular cancer progresses faster and is more likely to recur.
- Medullary cancer:The thyroid gland secretes the hormone calcitonin. C cells in the thyroid gland carry out this event. That's why the secretion of this hormone is increased in cancer cases. In this cancer, the thyroid gland must be removed. If it has spread to the lymph nodes, these glands are also removed by surgery. It is less common than the above two cancers. Approximately 1/4 of the patients have familial transmission. In other words, the risk is increased in those with a family history of medullary thyroid cancer.
- Anaplastic cancer: It is the least common type of thyroid cancer. It moves very fast. The mass in the thyroid develops and grows rapidly. In cases where breathing becomes difficult, the trachea may need to be removed. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are applied.
CAUSES OF THYROID CANCER
The cause is not yet fully known. However, according to research, thyroid cancer has been observed in people exposed to some radioactive substances. The most important of these substances is uranium. For example, with the nuclear power plant accident in Chernobyl, the incidence of thyroid cancer increased in people living in this region. It is thought that genetic mutations play a role in some thyroid cancers.
One of the frequently encountered questions is whether some radioactive substances used during diagnosis or treatment cause cancer. The amounts of substances used for this purpose are quite small. Their elimination time from the body is much shorter. That's why they don't cause cancer.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF THYROID CANCER?
There are no complaints in most thyroid cancers. The disease does not cause any symptoms. In some cases, the lymph nodes have become enlarged or a mass has formed in the neck. A small number of patients may experience throat discomfort, pain, difficulty breathing, hoarseness, and difficulty swallowing. But as we said, these are seen in a small number of patients. Many thyroid cancers do not cause symptoms. In fact, spread to other organs is detected in some of the patients at the time of diagnosis.
HOW IS THYROID CANCER DIAGNOSIS?
First of all, tests are performed to determine the amount of hormones in the blood. Whether or not hormone levels are high, other tests need to be performed. Because in some thyroid cancers, these values are high and in others they are normal.
The mass in the thyroid is seen with ultrasonography. However, it cannot be understood whether this mass is cancerous or not. A biopsy is required to make a definitive diagnosis. In addition, scintigraphy, one of the most important tests in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer, is performed. It provides information about the appearance of the mass or nodule. Apart from this, the method we call fine needle aspiration biopsy is applied. This method is applied to all masses seen in the thyroid. It is quite valuable. Applying it at least 5 times for a patient is important for the accuracy of the diagnosis.
Cancer. Poor type of tumor, spread of the tumor, large diameter (>1cm), and late initiation of treatment lead to a poor course of the disease. The prognosis of the disease is better if the tumor is in a single focus, has not spread, and is small in diameter.
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