Thyroid Cancer Basics

The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland that sits in the neck just below the adam's apple. It regulates hormones and, for the most part, isn't noticed until it stops working correctly. Between 2004 and 2008, there were 1,045 cases of thyroid cancer reported in the state of Arkansas, just over 7 cases per 100,000 people. In 2012, the American Cancer Society estimates there will be 56,460 new cases diagnosed in the United States. As you can see, it's not a common form of cancer.

It is also a cancer that is typically diagnosed early (68% of cases are diagnosed in an early stage), which means it is more easily treated and a full recovery is more likely. Symptoms are fairly easy to spot. The most common symptom is a lump (nodule) in the neck that an individual may notice themselvs, or that may be found by a doctor during a routine physical exam. Although most lumps found in the thyroid gland are not cancerous, any abnormality found should be brought to the attention of your medical provider.

Other symptoms can include:

• Tight or full feeling in the neck;
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing;
• Hoarseness or a loss of voice;
• Pain the throat or neck that doesn't go away.

Aside from the visual indications, other tests that can be used to evaluate thyroid nodules are blood tests to determine levels of hormones related to normal functions of the gland, medical imaging such as ultrasound and CT scans to evaluate size and characteristics of the nodule and nearby lymph nodes, and a biopsy to determine if cells in the nodule are benign or malignant.

There are a few risk factors for thyroid cancer, most of which are difficult to avoid. They include being female, having a history of goiter (enlarged thyroid) or thyroid nodules, having a family history of thyroid cancer, and radiation exposure related to medical treatment during childhood or other radiation exposure. Unlike other adult cancers, thyroid cancer risk does not increase with age. In fact, 80% of new thyroid cancer diagnoses are made in people under the age of 65.

For more information on thyroid cancer, you can visit these websites:
Endocrine Web
Mayo Clinic
National Cancer Institute

One more for September - Thyroid Cancer

September was busy for those of us who make an effort to educate people about cancer awareness. We've already covered childhood cancers, gynecological cancers, and blood cancers... finally we are sharing some information about Thyroid cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, the incidence rate for thyroid cancer has been increasing sharply since the mid-1990s, and it is the fastest-growing cancer in both men and women. Three out of four cases of thyroid cancer occur in women. This means that 36,015 of the 48,020 estimated diagnoses in 2011 will be in our sisters, mothers, daughters, and girlfriends. If you aren't concerned for yourself, we hope you'll read and share the following information for their sake.

The most common symptom of thyroid cancer is a lump in the neck. This is why your doctor always feels your neck when you pay them your annual visit. Lymph nodes in your neck and your thyroid gland are good indicators when something is amiss that hasn't yet been detected through other physical signs. Other symptoms include:

• tight or full feeling in the neck
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• hoarseness and pain in the throat
• neck that does not go away

Although most lumps in the thyroid gland are not cancerous, individuals who detect an abnormality should pay a visit to their doctor as soon as possible to rule out the possibility of cancer.

There are a few risk factors associated with thyroid cancer, the most common of which include being female, a family history of thyroid cancer, history of goiter or other non-malignant thyroid condition, and radiation exposure related to medical treatment during childhood.

Our resource room at Highlands Oncology Group in Rogers stocks a great deal of materials about different types of cancer. Stop by, or contact one of our social workers to request more information.

September

September is a big month in terms of the number of different kinds of cancer being recognized, remembered, and discussed in the media to help raise awareness. At Hope Cancer Resources, no one cancer diagnosis is more important than another... they all cause the fear, stress and physical, emotional and financial needs that we have made it our mission to address. But if we let the month go by without bringing the following to your attention, we are not doing our job.


National Ovarian Cancer Month - Each year in the United States, more than 21,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and about 15,000 women die of the disease. That's a 70% mortality rate, folks.

According to the data, the mortality rates for ovarian cancer have not improved in thirty years since the “War on Cancer” was declared. While other cancers have shown a marked reduction in mortality due to the availability of early detection tests and improved treatments, this is not the case with ovarian cancer, which is still the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers.

Childhood Cancer Month - In the United States, more than 12,500 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. That is roughly the equivalent of two average size classrooms (35-46 kids) diagnosed each school day. Over 40,000 children and adolescents currently are being treated for childhood cancers, and cancer is the #1 cause of death by disease in children, cutting short the lives of more children under the age of 20 than any other disease. Most heartbreaking, 1 child out of 5 who is diagnosed with cancer dies.

Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month - An estimated 137,260 people in the United States will be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma in 2010. New cases of leukemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma will account for 9.0 percent of the 1,529,560 new cancer cases diagnosed in the United States this year.

Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma will cause the deaths of an estimated 54,020 people in the United States this year. In fact, every ten minutes, someone dies from a blood cancer. This statistic represents nearly 148 people each day, or more than six people every hour. 

Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month - Any woman is at risk for developing a gynecologic cancer. There are five main types:

• Cervical cancer - In 2006,* 11,982 women in the United States were told they had cervical cancer.
• Ovarian cancer - In 2006,* 19,994 women in the United States were told that they have ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other gynecologic cancer, but it accounts for only about 3 percent of all cancers in women.
• Uterine cancer - In 2006,* 38,535 women in the United States were told that they had uterine cancer.
• Vaginal & Vulvar Cancer - In 2006,* 1,102 women in the United States were told that they had vaginal cancer and 3,807 women learned they had vulvar cancer.

* The last year for which statistics are available.

Each year, approximately 82,550 women in the United States are diagnosed with cancers affecting the reproductive organs. In 2006, 27,848 women died from a gynecologic cancer. 

National Thyroid Cancer Awareness Week - Thyroid cancer is one of the few cancers that has increased in incidence rates over recent years. It occurs in all age groups from children through seniors. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 37,200 new cases of thyroid cancer in the U.S. in 2009. Of these new cases, about 27,200 will occur in women and about 10,000 will occur in men. About 1,630 people (940 women and 690 men) were expected to die of thyroid cancer in 2009.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month - Prostate cancer is diagnosed every two minutes and fifteen seconds, and more than 217,730 new cases are expected in 2010. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in America among men. An estimated 32,050 American men will lose their lives to prostate cancer this year. One in six American men is at lifetime risk of prostate cancer and in the next 24 hours, prostate cancer will claim the lives of 83 American men.

Part of the vision we have at Hope Cancer Resources is to reduce the number of cancer incidences in Northwest Arkansas. To make that happen, we have to educate our friends and neighbors about prevention, symptoms, and screenings. Until we have done away with cancer, we will continue to provide that education in our communities, and assistance to those struggling with the disease, whatever form it takes.

Join us! Contact us, share your own stories, and let us know how you'd like to help support our mission to provide compassionate, professional cancer support and education in the Northwest Arkansas region today and tomorrow.