Thyroid Cancer: Types and General Information

Thyroid Cancer alternate names: Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer.

Early thyroid cancer often does not have symptoms. But as cancer grows, symptoms may include a lump in the front of the neck; hoarseness or voice changes; swollen lymph nodes in the neck; trouble swallowing or breathing; and pain in the throat or neck that does not go away.

The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) has included Thyroid Cancer as a Compassionate Allowance to expedite a disability claim.

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Four main types of thyroid cancer are:

• Papillary
• Follicular
• Medullary
• Anaplastic thyroid cancer

The four types are based on how the cancer cells look under a microscope.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma makes up about 2 percent of all thyroid cancers. It begins in the follicular cells of the thyroid. The cancer cells tend to grow and spread very quickly. Anaplastic thyroid cancer is tough to control. Median survival is usually 4-5 months from the time of diagnosis.

Diagnostic testing should include a history and physical exam to detect growths or swelling in the lymph nodes; blood tests to detect abnormal levels of TSH; ultrasound to detect thyroid nodules that are too small to be felt; thyroid scan and biopsy. A biopsy is the only sure way to diagnose thyroid cancer.

People with thyroid cancer have many treatment options. Treatment usually begins within a few weeks after the diagnosis. The choice of treatment depends on the type of thyroid cancer (papillary, follicular, medullary, or anaplastic), the size of the nodule, the individual's age, and whether cancer has spread.

Cancer may be treated with surgery, thyroid hormone treatment, radioactive iodine therapy, external radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. Most individuals receive a combination of treatments.

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.