|
Did You Know That Most Cancers Can Be Linked To Nutrition Deficiency?
Click Here For The Latest In Proven Cancer Nutrition And Supplements!
Thyroid Cancer
Document Last Modified:07/20/2005
What is thyroid cancer?
o Description
Stages of thyroid cancer
Papillary and follicular thyroid cancer
Medullary thyroid cancer
Anaplastic thyroid cancer
Recurrent thyroid cancer
o Stage Explanation
How thyroid cancer is treated
Treatment by stage
o Treatment Option Overview
o Stage I and II Papillary and Follicular Thyroid Cancer
o Stage III Papillary and Follicular Thyroid Cancer
o Stage IV Papillary and Follicular Thyroid Cancer
o Medullary Thyroid Cancer
o Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
o Recurrent Thyroid Cancer
o Changes to This Summary
o To Learn More
o About PDQ
Thyroid Cancer
Description
What is thyroid cancer?
Thyroid cancer is a disease in which cancer (malignant )
cells are found in the tissues of the thyroid gland . The
thyroid gland is at the base of the throat. It has two lobes
, one on the right side and one on the left. The thyroid
gland makes important hormones that help the body function
normally.
Certain factors may increase the risk of developing thyroid
cancer.
• Thyroid cancer occurs more often in people between the
ages of 25 and 65 years.
• People who have been exposed to radiation or received
radiation treatments to the head and neck during infancy
or childhood have a greater chance of developing thyroid
cancer. The cancer may occur as early as 5 years after exposure
or may occur 20 or more years later.
• People who have had goiter (enlarged thyroid) or a family
history of thyroid disease have an increased risk of developing
thyroid cancer.
• Thyroid cancer is more common in women than in men.
• Asian people have an increased risk of developing thyroid
cancer.
A doctor should be seen if there is a lump or swelling in
the front of the neck or in other parts of the neck.
If there are symptoms , a doctor will feel the patient's
thyroid and check for lumps in the neck. The doctor may
order blood tests and special scans to see whether a lump
in the thyroid is making too many hormones. The doctor may
want to take a small amount of tissue from the thyroid.
This is called a biopsy. To do this, a small needle is inserted
into the thyroid at the base of the throat and some tissue
is drawn out. The tissue is then looked at under a microscope
to see whether it contains cancer.
There are four main types of thyroid cancer (based on how
the cancer cells look under a microscope):
1. papillary
2. follicular
3. medullary
4. anaplastic
Some types of thyroid cancer grow faster than others. The
chance of recovery (prognosis ) depends on the type of thyroid
cancer, whether it is in the thyroid only or has spread
to other parts of the body (stage ), and the patient's age
and overall health. The prognosis is better for patients
younger than 40 years who have cancer that has not spread
beyond the thyroid.
The genes in our cells carry the hereditary information
from our parents. An abnormal gene has been found in patients
with some forms of thyroid cancer. If medullary thyroid
cancer is found, the patient may have been born with a certain
abnormal gene which may have led to the cancer. Family members
may have also inherited this abnormal gene. Tests have been
developed to determine who has the genetic defect long before
any cancer appears. It is important that the patient and
his or her family members (children, grandchildren, parents,
brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews) see a doctor about
tests that will show if the abnormal gene is present. These
tests are confidential and can help the doctor help patients.
Family members, including young children, who don't have
cancer, but do have this abnormal gene, may reduce the chance
of developing medullary thyroid cancer by having surgery
to safely remove the thyroid gland (thyroidectomy ).
Stage Explanation
Stages of thyroid cancer
Once thyroid cancer is found (diagnosed ), more tests will
be done to find out if cancer cells have spread to other
parts of the body. This is called staging. A doctor needs
to know the stage of the disease to plan treatment.
Papillary and follicular thyroid cancer
The following stages are used for papillary and follicular
thyroid cancer :
Stage I
• In patients younger than 45 years, cancer may have spread
within the neck or upper chest and/or to nearby lymph nodes
but not to other parts of the body.
• In patients aged 45 years and older, the tumor is 2 centimeters
(about ¾ inch) or smaller and in the thyroid only.
Stage II
• In patients younger than 45 years, the cancer has spread
to distant parts of the body, such as the lung or bone,
and may have spread to nearby lymph nodes .
• In patients aged 45 years and older, the tumor is larger
than 2 centimeters but not larger than 4 centimeters (between
¾ and 1½ inches) in the thyroid only.
Stage III
The cancer is found in patients aged 45 years or older.
The tumor either:
• is larger than 4 centimeters ; or
• may be any size and has spread just outside the thyroid
and/or to lymph nodes in the neck.
Stage IVA
The cancer is found in patients aged 45 years or older.
The tumor may be any size and has spread within the neck
and/or to lymph nodes in the neck or upper chest.
Stage IVB
The cancer is found in patients aged 45 years or older.
The tumor may be any size and has spread to neck tissues
near the backbone or around blood vessels in the neck or
upper chest. Cancer may have spread to lymph nodes .
Stage IVC
The cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as
the lung or bone, and may have spread to nearby lymph nodes
.
Medullary thyroid cancer
The following stages are used for medullary thyroid cancer
:
Stage 0
No tumor is found in the thyroid but the cancer is detected
by screening tests. Stage 0 is also called carcinoma in
situ .
Stage I
The tumor is 2 centimeters or smaller and in the thyroid
only.
Stage II
The tumor is larger than 2 centimeters but not larger than
4 centimeters and is in the thyroid only.
Stage III
The tumor either:
• is larger than 4 centimeters ; or
• may be any size and has spread just outside the thyroid
and/or to lymph nodes in the neck.
Stage IVA
The tumor may be any size and has spread within the neck
and/or to lymph nodes in the neck or upper chest.
Stage IVB
The tumor may be any size and has spread to neck tissues
near the backbone or around blood vessels in the neck or
upper chest. Cancer may have spread to lymph nodes .
Stage IVC
Cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as the
lung or bone, and may have spread to nearby lymph nodes
.
Anaplastic thyroid cancer
Anaplastic thyroid cancer is considered to be stage IV thyroid
cancer. It grows quickly and has usually spread within the
neck when it is found. Anaplastic thyroid cancer develops
most often in older people.
Recurrent thyroid cancer
Recurrent disease means that the cancer has come back (recurred
) after it has been treated. It may come back in the thyroid
or in other parts of the body.
Treatment Option Overview
How thyroid cancer is treated
There are treatments for all patients with thyroid cancer.
Four types of treatment are used:
• Surgery (taking out the cancer).
• Radiation therapy (using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy
rays to kill cancer cells ).
• Hormone therapy (using hormones to stop cancer cells from
growing) .
• Chemotherapy (using drugs to kill cancer cells).
Surgery is the most common treatment of thyroid cancer.
A doctor may remove the cancer using one of the following
operations:
• Lobectomy removes only the side of the thyroid where the
cancer is found. Lymph nodes in the area may be taken out
(biopsied ) to see if they contain cancer.
• Near-total thyroidectomy removes all of the thyroid except
for a small part.
• Total thyroidectomy removes the entire thyroid.
• Lymph node dissection removes lymph nodes in the neck
that contain cancer.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer
cells and shrink tumors. Radiation for thyroid cancer may
come from a machine outside the body (external radiation
therapy ) or from drinking a liquid that contains radioactive
iodine . Because the thyroid takes up iodine , the radioactive
iodine collects in any thyroid tissue remaining in the body
and kills the cancer cells.
Hormone therapy uses hormones to stop cancer cells from
growing. In treating thyroid cancer, hormones can be used
to stop the body from making other hormones that might make
cancer cells grow. Hormones are usually given as pills.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy
may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by
a needle in the vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a
systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream,
travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells outside
the thyroid.
Treatment by stage
Treatment of thyroid cancer depends on the type and stage
of the disease, and the patient's age and overall health.
Standard treatment may be considered because of its effectiveness
in patients in past studies, or participation in a clinical
trial may be considered. Not all patients are cured with
standard therapy and some standard treatments may have more
side effects than are desired. For these reasons, clinical
trials are designed to find better ways to treat cancer
patients and are based on the most up-to-date information.
Clinical trials are ongoing in many parts of the country
for some patients with thyroid cancer. To learn more about
clinical trials, call the Cancer Information Service at
1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615.
Stage I and II Papillary and Follicular Thyroid Cancer
Treatment may be one of the following:
1. Surgery to remove the thyroid (total thyroidectomy ).
This may be followed by hormone therapy and radioactive
iodine .
2. Surgery to remove one lobe of the thyroid (lobectomy
), followed by hormone therapy. Radioactive iodine also
may be given following surgery.
Stage III Papillary and Follicular Thyroid Cancer
Treatment may be one of the following:
1. Surgery to remove the entire thyroid (total thyroidectomy
) and lymph nodes where cancer has spread.
2. Total thyroidectomy followed by radiation therapy with
radioactive iodine or external-beam radiation therapy .
Stage IV Papillary and Follicular Thyroid Cancer
Treatment may be one of the following:
1. Radioactive iodine .
2. External-beam radiation therapy .
3. Surgery to remove the cancer from
places where it has spread.
4. Hormone therapy .
5. A clinical trial of new treatments, including chemotherapy.
Medullary Thyroid Cancer
Treatment may be one of the following:
1. Total thyroidectomy for tumors in the thyroid only. Lymph
nodes in the neck may also be removed.
2. Radiation therapy for tumors that come back in the thyroid
as palliative treatment to relieve symptoms and improve
the patient's quality of life .
3. Chemotherapy for cancer that has spread to other parts
of the body, as palliative treatment to relieve symptoms
and improve the patient's quality of life.
Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
Treatment may be one of the following:
1. Surgery to create an opening in the windpipe , for tumors
that block the airway. This is called a tracheostomy.
2. Total thyroidectomy to reduce symptoms if the tumor is
in the area of the thyroid only.
3. External-beam radiation therapy .
4. Chemotherapy.
5. Clinical trials of chemotherapy and radiation therapy
following thyroidectomy.
6. Clinical trials studying new methods of treatment of
thyroid cancer.
Recurrent Thyroid Cancer
The choice of treatment depends on the type of thyroid cancer
the patient has, the kind of treatment the patient had before,
and where the cancer comes back. Treatment may be one of
the following:
1. Surgery with or without radioactive iodine . A second
surgery may be done to remove tumor that remains.
2. Radioactive iodine.
3. External-beam radiation therapy or radiation therapy
given during surgery to relieve symptoms caused by the cancer.
4. Chemotherapy.
5. Clinical trials of new treatments.
Changes to This Summary
The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly
and updated as new information becomes available. This section
describes the latest changes made to this summary as of
the date above.
Links to the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms were added to
this summary.
To Learn More
Call
For more information, U.S. residents may call the National
Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Cancer Information Service toll-free
at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) Monday through Friday
from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Deaf and hard-of-hearing callers
with TTY equipment may call 1-800-332-8615. The call is
free and a trained Cancer Information Specialist is available
to answer your questions.
Web sites and Organizations
The NCI Web site provides online access to information on
cancer, clinical trials, and other Web sites and organizations
that offer support and resources for cancer patients and
their families. There are also many other places where people
can get materials and information about cancer treatment
and services. Local hospitals may have information on local
and regional agencies that offer information about finances,
getting to and from treatment, receiving care at home, and
dealing with problems associated with cancer treatment.
Publications
The NCI has booklets and other materials for patients, health
professionals, and the public. These publications discuss
types of cancer, methods of cancer treatment, coping with
cancer, and clinical trials. Some publications provide information
on tests for cancer, cancer causes and prevention, cancer
statistics, and NCI research activities. NCI materials on
these and other topics may be ordered online or printed
directly from the NCI Publications Locator. These materials
can also be ordered by telephone from the Cancer Information
Service toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237), TTY
at 1-800-332-8615.
LiveHelp
The NCI's LiveHelp service, a program available on several
of the Institute's Web sites, provides Internet users with
the ability to chat online with an Information Specialist.
The service is available from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern
time, Monday through Friday. Information Specialists can
help Internet users find information on NCI Web sites and
answer questions about cancer.
Write
For more information from the NCI, please write to this
address:
• NCI Public Inquiries Office
• Suite 3036A
• 6116 Executive Boulevard, MSC8322
• Bethesda, MD 20892-8322
About PDQ
PDQ is a comprehensive cancer database available on NCI's
Web site.
PDQ is the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) comprehensive
cancer information database. Most of the information contained
in PDQ is available online at NCI's Web site. PDQ is provided
as a service of the NCI. The NCI is part of the National
Institutes of Health, the federal government's focal point
for biomedical research.
PDQ contains cancer information summaries.
The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published
information on cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment,
supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine.
Most summaries are available in two versions. The health
professional versions provide detailed information written
in technical language. The patient versions are written
in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions
provide current and accurate cancer information.
The PDQ cancer information summaries are developed by cancer
experts and reviewed regularly.
Editorial Boards made up of experts in oncology and related
specialties are responsible for writing and maintaining
the cancer information summaries. The summaries are reviewed
regularly and changes are made as new information becomes
available. The date on each summary ("Date Last Modified")
indicates the time of the most recent change.
PDQ also contains information on clinical trials.
Before starting treatment, patients may want to think about
taking part in a clinical trial. A clinical trial is a study
to answer a scientific question, such as whether one treatment
is better than another. Trials are based on past studies
and what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial
answers certain scientific questions in order to find new
and better ways to help cancer patients. During treatment
clinical trials, information is collected about new treatments,
the risks involved, and how well they do or do not work.
If a clinical trial shows that a new treatment is better
than one currently being used, the new treatment may become
"standard."
Listings of clinical trials are included in PDQ and are
available online at NCI's Web site. Descriptions of the
trials are available in health professional and patient
versions. Many cancer doctors who take part in clinical
trials are also listed in PDQ. For more information, call
the Cancer Information Service 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237);
TTY at 1-800-332-8615.
http://www.acor.org/
cnet/62709.html
| 
High Grade Liquid
Discount Brand Name
Vitamins And
Cancer Nutrition Packages!
ORDER NOW!
LOWEST PRICES
ONLINE ON ALL LIQUID
SUPPLEMENTS GUARANTEED!Only at www.SharpWebLabs.com!
Put Some Nutrition
In Your Life Today!
Guaranteed Satisfaction! Thousands Of Customers! Cancer And Nutrition Go Hand In Hand!
|
