What Is The Thyroid Gland
Your thyroid gland is one of many glands that make up your endocrine system. Endocrine glands release hormones that control different bodily functions.
The pituitary gland in your brain controls your thyroid gland and other endocrine glands. It releases thyroid-stimulating hormone . As the name suggests, TSH stimulates your thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormone.
Your thyroid needs iodine, a mineral, to make these hormones. Iodine-rich foods include cod, tuna, dairy products, whole-grain bread and iodized salt.
Why Is It Important To Get A Recommended Biopsy
A biopsy is often the best way to definitively say whether or not you have cancer. Other tools, such as ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging , can tell the doctor if an area looks suspicious. But in most cases, the only way to make a definitive cancer diagnosis is to perform a biopsy and look at those suspicious cells under a microscope. Many biopsies are performed with imaging guidance, called image-guided biopsies, where tools like ultrasound or computed tomography scans are used to help locate areas of concern and obtain biopsy material.
Sometimes, a biopsy reveals that the suspicious area contains only benign, or non-cancerous, cells. This might mean you do not need treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. Other times, a biopsy can tell the doctor how aggressive a cancer appears to be and what the extent of the disease may be. This refers to a cancers stage and grade. A biopsy can also explain what type of cancer cells are inside the tumor. All of this information helps determine the best course of action for treating the cancer.
What Is Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the thyroid gland. It happens when cells in the thyroid grow out of control and crowd out normal cells.
Thyroid cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body such as the lungs and the bone and grow there. When cancer cells do this, its called metastasis. But the type of cancer is based on the type of cells it started from.
So even if thyroid cancer spreads to the lung , its still called thyroid cancer, not called lung cancer.
The thyroid
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Calculating Risk Based On Tumor Size
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center provides a Breast Cancer Nomogram through which you can predict the likelihood that a breast cancer has spread to axillary lymph nodes based on tumor size .
To complete this estimate, you are asked to agree to the conditions, and understand that it is only an estimate.
Whos At Risk For Breast Cancer
According to Mayo Clinc, Breast cancer occurs when some breast cells start growing abnormally. These particular cells divide at a faster rate than healthy cells and accumulate thus causing the formation of lumps.
Breast cancer may start in the milk-producing ducts, but it may also begin in the lobules or glandular tissue.
The exact cause that induces abnormal growth of cancer cells is not quite known although scientists have discovered some factors including BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
Every woman and even a man can develop breast cancer. That being said, some people are at a higher risk than others. The most common risk factors associated with breast cancer are:
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What Happens After A Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis
The disparity by sex in the prevalence of small papillary thyroid cancers found during life and after death suggests that many women are receiving treatment for small tumors that might never have caused symptoms, Dr. Davies explained.
The factors that lead more women to get a diagnosis of small papillary thyroid cancer are numerous and complex, she said. Women tend to be more likely than men to seek medical care overall. Theyre more likely to encounter health issues that may have hormonal causes, such as difficulties with pregnancy.
Thyroid ultrasound is widely used to evaluate medical problems that may involve the thyroid. But its not intended to be used to screen people who dont have symptoms for thyroid cancer, Dr. Davies explained. However, she added, it often gets ordered along with other tests to speed the process of diagnosing a potential thyroid issue.
That can lead to finding things that were unrelated to someones symptoms. And that can also distract from discovering the real cause of the problem someone came to the clinic for, said Dr. Davies.
The biggest challenge, said Dr. Haymart, is that its currently impossible to predict which tumors found by chance will pose a threat to health.
How do you determine which cancers might be indolent and just sit there for the rest of the patients life, and which ones might be aggressive and potentially cause harm? she asked. Thats very difficult to tease out.
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What Is The Thyroid
The thyroid is a gland located at the front of the neck. You can feel it just below the thyroid cartilage, or “Adam’s apple.” It is a butterfly-shaped gland that stretches across the middle of the neck just below the thyroid cartilage, with its “wings” spreading towards the head, on either side of the thyroid cartilage. These “wings” are called the lobes of the thyroid, with the middle section being called the isthmus.
The thyroid gland produces, stores, and secretes the thyroid hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine into the bloodstream. The thyroid does this as a response to a hormone produced by the pituitary gland, called thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH. When the thyroid gland is “turned on” by TSH, it increases its uptake of iodine, which is needed to make thyroid hormone.
The principal cells of the thyroid are called follicular cells. These cells are mainly responsible for making and secreting thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone plays an important role in controlling our metabolic rate. Many body functions such as temperature and heart rate are regulated by thyroid hormone. Too much thyroid hormone in your system is called hyperthyroidism, while too little is called hypothyroidism. An imbalance of thyroid hormone may cause serious health problems if not properly treated.
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Ways To Beat Breast Cancer
While each of these plays a role in helping to beat existing breast cancer, I highly recommend you use the first six, which will also help to prevent it from occurring.
Of course, prevention is always the best way to beat any disease.
The last one mentioned here has been shown to be very effective against breast cancer, but more research is still needed.
What Questions Should I Ask My Doctor
If you have thyroid cancer, you may want to ask your healthcare provider:
- Why did I get thyroid cancer?
- What type of thyroid cancer do I have?
- Has the cancer spread outside of the thyroid gland?
- What is the best treatment for this type of thyroid cancer?
- What are the treatment risks and side effects?
- Will I need thyroid replacement hormone therapy?
- Is my family at risk for developing this type of thyroid cancer? If so, should we get genetic tests?
- Can I get thyroid cancer again?
- Am I at risk for other types of cancer?
- What type of follow-up care do I need after treatment?
- Should I look out for signs of complications?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Receiving a cancer diagnosis is unsettling, regardless of the type. Fortunately, most thyroid cancers respond extremely well to treatment. Your healthcare provider can discuss the best treatment option for the type of thyroid cancer you have. After treatment, you may need to take synthetic thyroid hormones for life. These hormones support vital body functions. They usually dont cause any significant side effects, but youll have regular checkups to monitor your health.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 08/13/2020.
References
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What To Expect When Having A Pet Scan
In preparing for a PET scan, a radioactive substance is injected into the blood. The amount of radioactivity used is low. Because cancer cells in the body generally utilize sugar as their energy source to grow, they absorb more of the sugar than normal cells.
This test can be very useful for physicians to make a diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer that has:
- Come back following prior surgery
- Spread to other sites in the body
- Diagnosed as papillary thyroid cancer but didn’t take up radioactive iodine
The PET/CT scan for a diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer combines images of both PET and CT scans at the same time. This is because PET images alone are not very detailed. The computer shows the relative amount of radioactivity in a particular area and where the sugar is localized, appearing red or hot. The combination of these two images lets the doctor compare an abnormal area on the PET scan with its detailed appearance and location on the CT scan.
PET/CT scanning is not always positive in patients with a diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer.
What Are The Signs Of Thyroid Cancer
The most common sign of thyroid cancer is an asymptomatic thyroid nodule, identified on physical exam, or found incidentally on a radiologic scan. As the thyroid gland is a fairly superficial organ in the neck, a thyroid nodule could be noticed early. Not every thyroid nodule is thyroid cancer. In fact, 95% of thyroid nodules are benign . Less commonly, thyroid cancer can present as a large mass in the neck. The large mass can be located either in the region of the thyroid, representing the primary thyroid cancer or in a separate region of the neck, representing a spread of cancer to the lymph nodes.
Other symptoms of thyroid cancer can include hoarseness of the voice or symptoms associated with a tracheal or esophageal compression. This includes shortness of breath, difficult or painful swallowing, or neck pain.
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Surgery For Thyroid Cancer
Most patients with thyroid cancer have some type of surgery. Surgery is done to take out the tumor and all or part of the thyroid gland. Sometimes lymph nodes are taken out from the neck, too.
Side effects of surgery
Any type of surgery can have risks and side effects. Be sure to ask the doctor what you can expect. Possible side effects of thyroid surgery include:
- Infection
What About Other Treatments That I Hear About
When you have cancer you might hear about other ways to treat the cancer or treat your symptoms. These may not always be standard medical treatments. These treatments may be vitamins, herbs, special diets, and other things. You may wonder about these treatments.
Some of these are known to help, but many have not been tested. Some have been shown not to help. A few have even been found to be harmful. Talk to your doctor about anything youre thinking about using, whether its a vitamin, a diet, or anything else.
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How Common Is Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the world, but have you ever wondered how prevalent it is?
According to BreastCancer.org, one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer sometime in their life. This even more concerning since, the rate of death from breast cancer is the highest for any type of cancer
And besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in American women. More than 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no history of this severe disease in their family.
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2019 about 268,600 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in women. This year the number of deaths caused by breast cancer is expected to be about 41,760, figures show.
What Causes Thyroid Cancer And Am I At Risk
Most cases of thyroid cancer have no risk factors. Thyroid cancer is more common in women. Studies have shown an increased risk of certain types of thyroid cancer in geographic areas where there is a high incidence of goiters due to a lack of dietary iodine. This is further supported by the decrease of thyroid cancers in these areas when individuals are given supplemental iodine.
The most established risk factor for the development of thyroid cancer is exposure to ionizing radiation to the neck area at a young age . This is supported by the high incidence of thyroid cancer seen in many populations exposed to radiation. This includes children 18 years or younger who were treated with radiation therapy for cancers such as Hodgkinâs disease or nasopharyngeal cancer, or as part of their therapy to prevent leukemia from spreading to the brain. In addition, children who received total body irradiation in preparation for bone marrow transplantation are also at higher risk. Radiation therapy was also used in the 1940-1960s for benign conditions like acne, and this population has an increased risk for thyroid cancer.
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What Are Biopsies And Why Do I Need One
Biopsies are the most common way that doctors diagnose cancer. During a biopsy, a doctor takes a small piece of tissue, called a sample, from a suspected tumor or area of concern. Then, a pathologist looks at it under a microscope to make a diagnosis. A pathologist is a doctor who specializes in interpreting laboratory tests and evaluating cells, tissues, and organs to diagnose disease, including cancer.
There are many different techniques for collecting a biopsy. For example, in a fine needle aspiration biopsy, the doctor inserts a needle attached to a syringe into the suspicious area to collect a small amount of tissue for diagnosis. In an excisional biopsy, the doctor removes the entire suspicious mass for examination.
Properly performed, biopsies often provide essential information to help diagnose, stage, and inform clinical decision-making for patients with suspected or known cancer. Jeffrey E. Gershenwald, MD, FACS, professor in the Department of Surgical Oncology in the Division of Surgery at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and Cancer.Net Editorial Board member.
Other Signs And Symptoms
Other, more rare or unusual signs of medullary thyroid cancer that you should be aware of include:
- Severe diarrhea. This is a very rare symptom sometimes found in people with advanced medullary thyroid cancer. The tumor produces high levels of calcitonin, a hormone that may cause severe diarrhea.
- Cushing syndrome. In rare cases, adrenal tumors can cause Cushing syndrome, a condition that arises when a tumor secretes hormones that the thyroid wouldnt normal create. Cushing syndrome associated with medullary thyroid cancer is uncommon. The syndrome is more commonly caused by the pituitary gland overproducing adrenocorticotropic hormone , or by taking oral corticosteroid medication.
- Facial flushing. A red face, neck, or chest paired with warm or burning sensations can be a sign of many conditions. Tumors or other abnormal growths can overproduce hormones, triggering flushing. The symptom can also be a response to certain drugs, foods, alcohol, or menopause.
- Bone pain. People with medullary thyroid cancer may have bone pain if the cancer has spread to form bone lesions.
- Lethargy. Many people with advanced cancer may feel physically, emotionally, or mentally tired. The causes of fatigue during cancer are complex and not well understood.
- Weight loss. Unusual weight loss is a symptom of advanced medullary thyroid cancer that has spread beyond the thyroid into other organs.
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What Is The Prognosis For People Who Have Thyroid Cancer
Eight out of 10 people who have thyroid cancer develop the papillary type. Papillary thyroid cancer has a five-year survival rate of almost 100% when the cancer is in the gland . Even when the cancer spreads , the survival rate is close to 80%. This rate means that, on average, youre about 80% as likely to live for at least five years after diagnosis as someone who doesnt have metastatic papillary thyroid cancer.
Five-year survival rates for other thyroid cancer types include:
- Follicular: Close to 100% for localized around 63% for metastasized.
- Medullary: Close to 100% for localized around 40% for metastasized.
- Anaplastic: Close to 31% for localized 4% for metastasized.
How Does Thyroid Cancer Affect Pregnancy
Thyroid cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in pregnant women . Approximately 10% of thyroid cancers develop during pregnancy or within the first year after childbirth. Experts believe fluctuating hormone levels during pregnancy may trigger the cancer.
If you receive a thyroid cancer diagnosis during pregnancy, your healthcare provider can discuss treatment options. Depending on the cancer type and severity, your provider may recommend delaying treatment until after you deliver your baby. If treatment cant wait, most women can safely undergo surgery to remove the cancerous gland. You shouldnt have radioactive diagnostic tests or treatments when youre pregnant or breastfeeding.
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Does Thyroid Cancer Spread To The Breast
- #1 11-10-2007 07:34 AM by Chellyfdoes thyroid cancer spread to the breast
- #2 11-10-2007 04:47 PM by ReeceRe: does thyroid cancer spread to the breastThryroid cancer primarily, if it spreads in the neck for pappillary, and sometimes to the lungs for follicular, and follicular sometimes to the bones.Breast cancer, occasionally, but rarely can go to the thryoid, but that is rare, and I’ve personally never read or heard of thyroid cancer metasticising to the breast.
- #3 11-14-2007 02:08 PM by Dee2000Re: does thyroid cancer spread to the breastChelly,There is a study linking patients with previous thyroid cancer as being more prone to developing some form of breast cancers later. Breast cancer is also linked to colon: women with breast have been found to have 3% chance of also developing colon cancer – hence screening for both are very important. Of course there are tons of on-going studies.My mother and her mom both had thyroid cancer early in life and my mom developed breast cancer at 46. The specialists at MD Anderson have informed her they are starting to relate radiation use for thyroid cancers to cause certain breast cancers.