Thyroid Cancer

Radiotherapy, also called radiation therapy, is the treatment of cancer and other diseases with radiation. Radiotherapy is used when the entire primary tumor cannot be surgically removed. Radiotherapy deposits energy

Doctors use Iodine-131. Iodine-131 can be used to treat someone with hyperthyroidism. It can also be used to treat thyroid cancer. It can also be used as a type of medical imaging.

Nuclear medicine procedures utilize very small doses of short-lived isotopes (ones that only stay radioactive for a few hours or days), the amount of radiation received is generally less than or equal to that of an x-ray. Whole body and healthy tissue doses can be minimized while the radioisotope is targeted toward the affected tissue or organ. The isotope is then eliminated by the body through the urine or fecal matter.

* Radioactive iodine to destroy thyroid tissue and lower the amount of hormone being produced

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the rarest, most devastating form of thyroid malignancy. Also known as undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma, it makes up only 1-2% of all thyroid cancers but is responsible for the majority of thyroid cancer-related deaths3,9,10.

This type of therapy is often used as a means to treat hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, bone metastases from prostate and breast tumors, as well as other types of cancer and diseases. It can be used alone or in combination with other therapeutic means of medicine, such as surgery or chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is used in the treatment of approximately 40% to 60% of patients who are diagnosed with cancer (Errors in Radiation Therapy, 2009). In many cases, the

The symptoms are initially asymptomatic they begin to appear such as swelling in the neck, swelling in the lymph nodes and pain, hoarseness and difficulty to breath. The causes are exposure to high levels of radiation, inherited genetic syndromes. There are four types of thyroid cancer: papillary, medullary thyroid cancer, anaplastic thyroid cancer, thyroid lymphoma. According to cancercenters Papillary carcinoma is the most common type of thyroid cancer, accounting for approximately 80% of cases. Papillary carcinomas are slow growing, differentiated cancers that develop from follicular cells and can develop in one or both lobes of the thyroid gland. This type of cancer may spread to nearby lymph nodes in the neck, but it is generally treatable with a good prognosis (outlook for survival). Follicular carcinoma is the second most common type of thyroid cancer, and accounts for approximately one out of 10 cases. It is found more frequently in countries with an inadequate dietary intake of iodine. Follicular carcinoma is also a differentiated form of thyroid cancer. In most cases, it is associated with a good prognosis, although it is somewhat more aggressive than papillary cancer. Follicular carcinomas do not usually spread to nearby lymph nodes, but they are more likely than papillary cancers to spread to other organs, like the lungs or the bones. Hurtle cell carcinoma, also known as oxyphil cell carcinoma, is a subtype of follicular carcinoma, and accounts for approximately 3 percent of all thyroid cancers. Medullary thyroid carcinoma develops from C cells in the thyroid gland, and is more aggressive and less differentiated than papillary or follicular cancers. Approximately 4 percent of all thyroid cancers will be of the medullary subtype. These cancers are more likely to spread to lymph nodes and other organs, compared with the more differentiated thyroid cancers. They also frequently

Have you ever wondered why so many people in Chernobyl get thyroid cancer? Radiation was passed on from cows. Thyroid cancer is curable but, it can come back after treatment. The most common type of thyroid cancer is Papillary thyroid cancer. The most rare thyroid cancer to have is Anaplastic. Radiation from chernobyl caused people to get thyroid cancer.

The thyroid gland is the gland that makes and stores hormones that help regulate the heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and metabolism. Thyroid hormones are essential for the function of every cell in the body. They help regulate growth and the rate of chemical reactions in the body. Thyroid hormones also help children grow and develop. The thyroid gland is located in the lower part of the neck, below the Adam's apple, wrapped around the trachea. It has the shape of a butterfly with two lobes attached to one another by a middle part called the isthmus. The thyroid uses iodine, a mineral found in some foods and in iodized salt, to make its hormones. The two most important thyroid hormones are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine

What is thyroid cancer, and is it dangerous? To answer this one must first know the function of the thyroid. A thyroid is a gland at the front of the neck right under the sound box, which secretes hormones that affect heart rate, body temperature and weight. It also makes calcitonin, which keeps a healthy level of calcium in the body. Thyroids are made up of tissue, when the cells that make up the tissue of the thyroid gland start to form unnecessarily, and cells that are damaged are not killed, tumors called nodules form on the thyroid thus resulting in cancer. Around 45,000 women and 15,000 men were diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2013 alone, most of whom were above the age of 45. However getting thyroid cancer is not the worst thing in the world as it is treatable but there should still be more investment and research put into this disease so that less risky methods of taking out the cancer can be found.

If the gland appears to be enlarged, the physician may order further tests to diagnose or rule out cancer. These tests include: a CT scan or ultrasonography. The ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves that are emitted and received by a transducer that is passed over the neck region. The sound waves penetrate the body, and by electronic readings, the sound waves are arranged on a computer screen into a picture image of the thyroid gland and any tumors (Thackery 1058). Another test used is the thyroid scan. A patient is given radioactive iodine to drink. After the iodine has been absorbed by the thyroid, the patient must lie on his or her back with the neck region positioned under a scanner. The information received by the scanner is then sent to a computer that displays a 2-dimensional image of the thyroid used to identify areas in the thyroid that do not absorb iodine normally (Surks 165). The most accurate diagnostic tool for thyroid cancer is biopsy. The test is done in a hospital operating room under a general anesthesia. A sedative is usually given by an injection about one hour before the procedure. A small incision is made in the neck, and either side of the thyroid or the entire lump is removed. The sample is sent to a laboratory to be examined. If thyroid cancer is detected, the thyroid is removed (Shin 420).

a.ii.1. A person that decides not to get treatment can go through a thyroid storm, which is rare but dangerous to a person

Iodine can affect the thyroid, taking iodine along with medications for an overactive thyroid might decrease the thyroid function more than desirable.

Treatment depends on the cause and size of your nodule or nodules. Treatment may not be necessary if the nodule is benign. Your health care provider may monitor the nodule to see if it goes away on its own. If the nodule does not go away, continues to grow, or is cancerous, the nodule may need to be:

At this time, it is not clear how much diagnostic radiation is contributing to the increase in thyroid cancer cases. It is possible that the increase in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer can be attributed to a greater rate of detection by use of ultrasonography and fine needle aspiration3. The thyroid tissue itself is among the tissues that are less sensitive to radiation, however, thyroid cancer is still such a concern because the thyroid is so superficial in the body1 (77). “Even doses as small as 50–100 mGy have been associated with an increased risk of thyroid malignancy in children, with a