Did you hear about the severe disease, cancer? Quite obvious! It may happen at any part of the body regardless of age and gender. It may be the result of poor food habits, such as tobacco intake, genetics, or some unknown fact.
Now, you must have heard about thyroid problems. Today, you will be coming across a new term, “thyroid cancer.” Why not peep into some vital causes along with medications and treatment?
What is Thyroid Cancer all about?
Thyroid cancer is a particular type of disease where the cells of cancer take the form of the thyroid gland. Various types of thyroid cancer may occur at any time. Regardless of age and gender, if someone gets exposed to radiation for long, then there are higher chances.
The growth of cells starts from the thyroid gland. Are you aware of the thyroid? It is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck, below the Adam’s Apple. It is responsible for producing hormones that regulate heartbeat rate, body weight, temperature, and blood pressure.
Initially, this type of cancer may not include any symptoms. But with time, it may result in severe symptoms like:
- Change in the voice
- Swelling in neck
- Difficulty in swallowing food
In most cases, this ailment grows slowly but may become aggressive with changing circumstances. A special type of treatment can cure most thyroid cancers. The rest depends on the level of the ailment.
Does the Risk of Thyroid Cancer Increase with Changing Times?
As a part of general knowledge, any ailment, if kept untreated for long, may take a severe turn. It may even become incurable, thus threatening the life. Similarly, thyroid cancer, if not diagnosed at the right time, may increase.
The moment you doubt any malfunctioning while swallowing food or change in voice, immediately run to your nearest diagnostic centre. If detected early, small cancers have higher chances of responding well to treatments.
Healthcare providers undergo several procedures, such as CT and MRI scans, to detect lumps inside the human body. Sometimes, blood tests and biopsies are also helpful in detecting the level of thyroid cancer prevailing inside the body.
What Are Some Vital Causes of Thyroid Cancer?
To date, research is being conducted to come across the facts that lead to the conversion of some cells to cancer that attacks the thyroid. A low iodine diet and faulty genes may result in increasing the risk factor. Additional facts that lead to further spreading of thyroid cancer are:
- Goiter
- Thyroiditis
- Obesity
- Radiation therapy for long
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia
Have you been exposed to radioactive fallout due to a power plant accident? If yes, then it may also be the reason for thyroid cancer.
Vital signs that indicate the spreading out of thyroid cancer to other areas of your body are as follows:
- Often, loss of appetite
- Frequent tiredness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Random weight loss
Types of Thyroid Cancers
Now, it is time to peep into the different types of thyroid cancers that may form inside the human body. They are:
- Papillary – It is a very common type of cancer that grows slowly inside the body. Though it spreads to the lymph nodes available in your neck, it may respond well through proper treatment.
- Follicular – Follicular cancer is a bit serious stage that may get spread out to bones and organs, including lungs. Further stages like metastatic cancer may be too difficult to respond to even the best treatment process.
- Medullary – Almost two percent of cases related to thyroid cancer have been categorized to be medullary. It is generally due to family disease. Faulty genes may be one of the most exclusive causes.
- Anaplastic – It is one of the most aggressive stages of cancer that is overall difficult to treat. It may grow quickly and affect the surrounding areas of the body. Though the patient needs to undergo highly costly treatment, the outcome remains a probability.
According to experienced healthcare professionals, their staging system helps determine how cancer has spread in the thyroid. The moment cancer cells are in the metastasize stage, they are considered to have spread to nearby cells and lymph nodes.
Slowly, it affects the bones and other organs. The stages of thyroid cancer have been categorized from I to IV. The higher the number, the more serious the condition is. Rather than relying on random sources, having words with your healthcare provider will be good.
Is it Possible to Treat and Manage Thyroid Cancer?
With time, medical science has come across high development. Unlike earlier days, lots of options have evolved for treating deadly diseases like cancer. Similarly, below are some treatment options that may help in repairing thyroid cancer if detected at an early stage:
- Surgery, based on the size of the tumor
- Radioiodine therapy, a highly safe procedure
- Radiation therapy for killing cancer cells
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone therapy
Overall, talking to your doctor before going for the treatment and further diagnosis will be good. A detailed discussion may help you to come across the pros and cons of every process.
