Under House Bill 5307, the fourth week of September each year is recognized as National Thyroid Cancer Awareness Week. Through educational and informational efforts on thyroid cancer's causes, effects, diagnosis, prevention, and therapies, the level of public knowledge will be raised.
So now let us know more about what is Thyroid Cancer.
Your thyroid is often located inside the lower front of your neck and has the shape of a little butterfly. Your metabolism is controlled by this gland. It also releases hormones that regulate a number of biological functions, including how you use energy, produce heat, and use oxygen. Cells alter or mutate, which leads to thyroid cancer. Once there are enough abnormal cells in your thyroid, they start to grow and eventually develop into a tumor. The thyroid gland, a little gland at the base of the neck that produces hormones, is a target of the rare malignancy known as thyroid cancer. People in their 30s and older suffer from it the most frequently. Women are two to three times as likely as males to develop it. Although it can occasionally return after therapy, thyroid cancer is typically treatable and, in many cases, entirely curable.
What are the Causes of thyroid cancer?
Thyroid cancer develops when the DNA of thyroid cells is altered, leading to the cells' uncontrollable growth and development of a lump.
There are several factors that can raise your risk, though it is not always clear what changes this.
These consist of other thyroid issues, such as a goiter or an inflammatory thyroid, but neither an overactive thyroid nor an underactive thyroid.
Family history of thyroid cancer: If a close relative has had thyroid cancer, your risk is increased. Exposure to radiation during childhood, such as during radiotherapy, and obesity.
A disorder of the colon known as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP).
Acromegaly is a relatively uncommon illness in which the body overproduces growth hormone.
Thyroid Cancer Treatments
The type of thyroid cancer you have and its stage will determine how it should be treated.
The primary treatments are:
- Thyroid surgery: partial or complete thyroid removal
- Treatment with radioactive iodine involves ingesting a radioactive chemical that destroys cancer cells as it circulates through your blood.
- Using a machine, radiation beams are directed at the cancer cells to kill them in external radiotherapy.
- Chemotherapy and targeted therapies are two examples of treatments that kill cancer cells.
You'll have follow-up appointments after treatment to see if cancer has returned.
PDO I Kimberly Tanador, RND
References:
What is Thyroid Cancer?
