What is thyroid?
A gland in the neck is named thyroid. The gland makes hormones by the help of two types of cells. Thyroid hormone is produced by follicular cells. The hormone is responsible for the temperature of the body, heart rate and the enrgy level. Calcitonin is formed by C cells that perform the function of controlling the calcium level in the blood. It is of a butterfly shape, and composed of two lobes. Isthmus is a thin section that separates the two lobes of thyroid. It situate under the Larynx (the voice box) and in front of the neck.
The size of a normal and healthy thyroid is a bit larger than the quarter. The gland in its healthy state remains unfelt in the skin. A lobe that is bloated may be felt or looked like a bump in the neck’s front. Goiter is the scientific name of a swollen thyroid. The deficiency of iodine in the body makes goiters.
What is thyroid cancer?
Cancer is the abnormal growth of cells that are the basic postulate of the body. The abnormal growth keeps the over-age cells alive that combine to create tumors. The growth of tumors in thyroid is called nodules. The nodule could be either benign or malignant.
- Benign nodules: They are not cancerous. Fortunately cells from such tumor do not move to or affect other parts of the body. They offer no threat to the life of the patient. It has been observed that the majority of the thyroid nodules are benign, almost 90 per cent.
- Malignant nodules: These growths are cancer. They offer serious concern to the physician and threats to the life of the developer. The cell from the nodule can widely affect the near by or far flung cells or/and tissue or/and organs. The cancer cells can also break away from the nodule and become a part of the lymphatic system or blood stream. The spread of cancer is known as metastasis.
Types of thyroid cancer
There are a number of thyroid cancers. We have hear by encompass a number of major types:
- Papillary and follicular thyroid cancers: The types account for 80 to 90 per cent of all types of thyroid cancers. Follicular calls of the thyroid are the origin of these cancers. Both of them usually grow slowly. The treatment can be successful if the cancer is detected in an earlier stage.
- Medullary thyroid cancer: Its patients accounts for 5 to 10 per cent of all thyroid cases. It is an outcome of C cells. If the cancer has not spread to other parts of the body then it is easy to curb.
- Anaplastic thyroid cancer: It is a rare type of thyroid cancer and accounts for only 1 to 2 per cent of cases. It results in the follicular cells. It is very difficult to recognize the cancerous cells because they are highly abnormal. It is usually impossible to control the cancer because it grows and spreads very quickly.
Causes of thyroid cancer with risk factors
Alike all other cancers, there are no boundaries around the causes of the thyroid cancer. However, there are some risk actors and causes. We have already provided you with detail on affects of radiation on the body and the role played by the family history if someone in the family is affected by the cancer. Thyroid cancer is mostly found in females. In United States, women develop two to three times more thyroid cancer than the men. People who are 40 years old are more likely to develop the thyroid tumor. The patients of anaplastic thyroid are of more than 65 years old. White people are found to be the more frequent victims of the thyroid cancer as compared to the black people in United States. It means that the thyroid cancer also depends on the race of the affectees.
The deficiency of iodine in the body is responsible for the emergence of thyroid cancer. In United States, additional iodine is included in the salt to avoid the cancer of thyroid as much as possible. Thyroid cancer cases in United States are less than the cases in those countries that have not made iodine a part of their diet.
Symptoms of thyroid cancer
There are no symptoms of an early thyroid cancer. With the growth of cancer, symptoms appear: hoarse or difficulty in speaking, a lump or nodule in neck’s front or near the Adam's apple, difficulty in breathing or swallowing, swollen lymph nodes in neck and pain in the neck or throat.
How is thyroid cancer diagnosed?
If the patient is found to have the symptoms of thyroid cancer then the doctor can suggest a number of tests like the imaging test and/or laboratory tests. For diagnosis following test may be made.
- Physical examination: Doctor will evaluate the unusual growths or swelling by feeling the thyroid, neck, voice box and lymph nodes.
- The abnormal levels, too low or too high, of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in the blood may be tested by the doctor. A pituitary gland in the brain makes the TSH which stimulates the thyroid hormone to conveniently release. It is also responsible for the growth of follicular cells in the thyroid.
- Doctor will suggest tests to check the abnormal or high level of calcium in the blood of those people who are found to be medullary thyroid cancer. For the diagnosis of high level of calcitonin or RET gene, the doctor may also suggest blood test.
- The inaudible sound waves are sent by the ultra sound machine. The waves that come back after striking to the thyroid make echo that is picturized into a picture known as sonogram by the help of a picture. It is the doctor’s responsibility to evaluate how many nodules are present in the throat, what is their size and are they solid or full of some fluid.
- A nuclear medicine test may also be suggested. The test uses a small amount of radioactive material to show the thyroid nodules in the picture. Cold nodules are the one that absorb less radioactive than the near by thyroid tissues. The cold nodules may be malignant or benign. The nodules that absorb less radioactive material than the adjacent nodules are called hot nodules.
- Biopsy is the removal of some tissues to diagnose the cancer, the changes in tissues that will result in cancer, the existing cancer and other conditions can be evaluated by the biopsy. It is the only authorized way to determine whether the nodule is cancerous or not.
Doctor may remove the tissue with the help of a needle or during a surgery.
Fine-needle aspiration: A thin needle is used by doctor to remove a sample of tissue from the thyroid nodule. A microscope is used by the pathologist to examine the condition of the cells. At times, ultrasound is used by the doctors to guide the needle.
Methods of treatment of Thyroid Cancer
Surgery is mostly used to treat the thyroid cancer. Surgery can remove some part of or the whole thyroid.
Total thyroidectomy: The surgery to remove the whole thyroid. Through an incision in neck, the surgeon removes the thyroid gland. In certain cases nearby lymph nodes are removed. In case the cancer is found in the lymph nodes, it is a symbol that the thyroid cancer has moved to the other parts of the body.
Lobectomy: It is adapted in the treatment of those patients who have papillary or follicular thyroid. The lobe that is cancerous removed. It is up to the surgeon to whether remove the remaining thyroid tissue or the adjacent lymph nodes to ensure that the cancer is properly curbed.
Radioactive iodine therapy: The therapy makes use of radioactive iodine (I-131) to destroy thyroid cancer cells in the body, despite of their location. The treatment is carried in mouth, by a capsule or liquid, in small doze that gives no problem to those who are allergic to iodine. The I-131 is absorbed by the intestine and sents it to the thyroid cells via bloodstream.
Hormone treatment: It is a part of the treatment plan of a patient who has undergone surgery. The pill stops any future growth of the cancer and mostly used in papillary and follicular cases.
External radiation therapy: The therapy is also called radiotherapy and used high energy rays. Radiations are directed into the body by the help of a large machine to kill the cancer.
Chemotherapy: The use of drugs to slay cancer cells is Chemotherapy. It is often used to treat thyroid cancer. It is a systemic therapy as the drugs enters into the bloodstream and travel in nooks and corners of the body.
Thyroid cancer is a treatable disease. The only need is to be aware of the disease in time to keep one’s self safe from the engulfing danger.
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