WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THYROID CANCER?
The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, produces hormones. These hormones help control blood pressure, body temperature, the rate at which the heart beats and how food is converted into energy. Hormones from the thyroid gland also affect a child's growth and development. The thyroid uses iodine, a mineral found in foods, to make some of its hormones.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF THYROID CANCER?
There are different types of thyroid cancers depending on the type of cell that is affected. These different types of thyroid cancer vary in how successfully they can be treated; the most common type (papillary carcinoma) grows slowly and is rarely fatal.
WHO GETS THYROID CANCER?
Thyroid cancer occurs about three times as often in women as in men. Women between the ages of 35 and 65 are at highest risk of getting thyroid cancer, followed by older people (both men and women).
WHAT FACTORS INCREASE RISK FOR DEVELOPING THYROID CANCER?
At this time, the causes of thyroid cancer are not well understood. However, scientists agree that certain factors increase a person's risk of developing this disease. These risk factors include:
- Ionizing Radiation: Exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation, particularly in childhood, has been linked with thyroid cancer. In the past, before doctors were aware of the dangers, ionizing radiation was used to treat conditions such as acne and swelling of the lymph nodes, tonsils and thymus gland. While these conditions are not now treated with radiation, people who received such treatments are at higher risk for developing thyroid cancer. In addition, ionizing radiation is currently used to treat children with cancers of the head and neck and certain types of leukemia.
- Radioactive Iodine: Exposure to radioactive iodine in childhood is also believed to be associated with thyroid cancer.
- Hereditary Conditions and Family History: Thyroid cancer is more common among people with certain inherited diseases including familial adenomatous polyposis, Gardner syndrome, Cowden disease, Carney complex (type 1), and multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndrome. People with a history of familial medullary thyroid carcinoma or a family history of goiter are also at higher risk for getting thyroid cancer.
WHAT OTHER RISK FACTORS FOR THYROID CANCER?
Many studies have been done on the effects of diet, particularly eating foods with iodine, on the risk of thyroid cancer. Several studies have shown a higher risk of thyroid cancer in places where there is very little iodine in the diet. Other studies suggest that the amount of iodine in the diet affects the type of thyroid cancer that develops.
Some studies have shown that having a non-cancerous thyroid condition or having a relative with a non-cancerous thyroid condition may be a risk factor for developing thyroid cancer. Scientists are also studying the possible relationship between obesity/overweight and increased risk of thyroid cancer.
HOW TO REDUCE CHANCES OF GETTING THYROID CANCER?
To help reduce the risk of getting thyroid cancer:
- Discuss the risks and benefits of medical imaging, such as CT scans, with your health care provider to avoid unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation. This is particularly important for children.
- Ensure adequate iodine intake.
- Be aware of your family history and discuss any concerns with your health care provider.
- Choose a healthy diet to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Eat more vegetables, fruits and whole grains and eat less red and processed meats.
- Exercise regularly.
WHY KIMS?
Being one of the best oncology hospitals in Hyderabad with the best thyroid cancer specialist doctors in Hyderabad, KIMS has moved the field forward with their innovations in detecting thyroid cancer, pioneering new treatments for the disease working with patients who have inherited forms of it. We were one of the first oncology specialist hospitals in Hitech City to offer transoral robotic thyroid surgery, and are one of only a few centers in the India to offer scar-less thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy.