Thyroid Cancer: Types and General Information
Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2009/04/05 - Updated: 2023/02/01
Topic: Cancer and Tumors - Publications List
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main
Synopsis: Thyroid Cancer forms in the thyroid gland, an organ at the base of the throat that makes hormones that help control heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and weight. 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.
Introduction
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.
Main Item
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 was born and grew up in Australia. Since then, he has traveled and lived in numerous locations and currently resides in Montreal, Canada. Ian is the founder, a writer, and editor in chief for Disabled World. Ian believes in the Social Model of Disability, a belief developed by disabled people in the 1970s. The social model changes the focus away from people's impairments and towards removing barriers that disabled people face daily. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and achievements, check out his bio.