Ways To Fundraise For Different Types Of Thyroid Cancer

By: Raj

Published On: August 20, 2022

Thyroid cancer develops when there is an abnormal growth of thyroid cells in the body. The thyroid is a gland situated at the neck’s base just below Adam’s apple and has the shape of a butterfly with a left and right lobe. There is a thin tissue called the isthmus that connects the two lobes. The thyroid produces several hormones using a mineral found in some food called iodine.

The primary function of the thyroid is to

control the heart rate,
body temperature,
blood pressure,
calcium in the blood,
and body weight.

Early-stage thyroid cancer may not show any signs and symptoms but may show symptoms as it grows like a change in voice, swelling in the neck, and problems while swallowing. Mainly, thyroid cancer grows slowly and can be cured with early treatment. Some aggressive types of thyroid cancer may occur.

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Thyroid Cancer: Risk Factors

Experts don’t know the exact causes of thyroid cancer, but some risk factors are associated with it. Some of them are:

Gender and age factors

Women have three times higher chances of getting thyroid cancer than men. However, there is no specific age at which you may develop thyroid cancer. However, most cases of thyroid cancer were found in men older than 50 and 60, while in women, it was in the age group of 40 and 50. Thyroid cancer in men is aggressive and grows more quickly.

Hereditary and genetic factors

Thyroid cancer can occur due to genetic or hereditary factors. A person is most likely to get thyroid cancer if their parent, brother, or sister has it. There is a higher risk of developing thyroid cancer when polyps are formed in the colon, called familial adenomatous polyposis. Some other genetic problems that may increase the risk of thyroid cancer are:

Cowden disease
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2
Familial medullary thyroid cancer

Radiation exposure

Children with higher exposure to radiation therapy have a higher risk of developing thyroid cancer than adults. Moderate radiation exposure to the neck and head increases the chances of developing follicular and papillary thyroid tumors.

Lack of iodine in your diet

Thyroid cancer is more likely to develop in countries with a low level of iodine. It is a mineral found in some foods that produce thyroid hormones in the body.

Want to reduce the financial risk associated with thyroid cancer?

Read: 7 Ways To Avoid Medical Bankruptcy

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What Are The Types Of Thyroid Cancer

Differentiated types of thyroid cancer- It categorizes different kinds of thyroid cancer that develop in the thyroid. It includes:

Papillary thyroid cancer- One of the common types of thyroid cancer is a papillary thyroid tumor. It can develop in a person at the age of 30 to 50. Usually, they are small in size and curable with effective treatment. Only a rare portion of papillary thyroid tumors are aggressive that spread quickly to the neck and nearby body organs.
Follicular thyroid cancer- One of the rare types of thyroid cancer is a follicular thyroid tumor that affects older individuals of age 50 or more. Most types of thyroid cancer don’t spread to the neck lymph nodes, but aggressive types can expand to the lungs and bones.
Hurthle cell thyroid cancer- Here, thyroid cancer cells act differently to various treatments. This thyroid cancer develops quickly and can grow in the neck or distant body organs.

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC)- It is also known as medullary thyroid cancer or medullary thyroid carcinoma. It usually develops in the type C cells of the thyroid gland. MTC is one of the rare types of thyroid cancer that is more aggressive than other thyroid cancer like papillary or follicular.

Almost 4% of all thyroid cancers are MTC subtypes. MTC may travel to lymph nodes and other body organs. Medullary thyroid cancer releases carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and calcitonin that can be diagnosed with thyroid blood tests.

Anaplastic thyroid cancer- Another type of thyroid cancer that proliferates quickly and is often hard to cure. Thyroid cancer treatment can reduce the growth of thyroid tumors. It usually affects a person older than 60 and causes symptoms like neck swelling and problems while breathing and swallowing.

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Stages Of Thyroid Cancer For Its Different Types

Papillary or follicular thyroid cancer- Age below 55

Stage 1- Tumors can be of any size and may travel to nearby lymph nodes and body tissues. But, don’t spread to distant body organs.
Stage 2- Tumor may spread to lymph nodes and other body organs like lungs and bones.