Thyroid Cancer - How Common Is It?

Thyroid Cancers are initially detected through Chest X-Rays, CT/PET Scans, and Ultrasounds, however, a doctor usually asks for Biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of the same.Blood Tests normally do not detect Thyroid cancers but it can help detect if the thyroid is working normally.

Even though Thyroid Cancers present very few or no symptoms and therefore difficult to detect however a lump or swelling in the neck is usually the primary and most common symptom of Thyroid Cancers. Other symptoms may include difficulty in swallowing, trouble breathing, pain in the neck going up to the ears.

The line of treatment for Thyroid Cancer is largely determined by the overall health of the patient and the type & stage of cancer. However, most thyroid cancers are treated by Thyroidectomy or removal of thyroid glands however Radioactive Therapy is recommended in early stages after surgery. Targeted therapy and Chemotherapy is given along with Radiation Therapy to areas which cannot be cured by Radioactive therapy.

However, there is no definite cause of Thyroid Cancer however it has been identified that radiation exposure during childhood or early stages of life increase your risk of Thyroid cancer later in life.Doctors also recommend removing thyroid glands in people who have a genetic history of Thyroid Cancers so as to remove the risk of developing cancers later in life.