Thyroid cancer occurs when normal cells in the thyroid gland change into abnormal cells and grow without the body’s control. Thyroid is an endocrine gland located in the middle of the neck consisting of 2 lobes connected to each other through the thyroid isthmus, whose function is to secrete hormones to help the body grow and develop.
There are many different types of thyroid cancer The most common type is undifferentiated medullary papillary thyroid cancer, in which the medullary and undifferentiated types have a worse prognosis. However, differentiated thyroid cancer is disease cancer prognosis is very good.
According to doctors, thyroid cancer can be detected early. In fact, most cases of the disease are now detected much earlier than in the past and can be treated successfully.
Most patients with early-stage thyroid cancer discovered when they see their doctor because they notice lumps or nodules in their neck. In some cases, cancer can be detected early when examined health periodically. Early thyroid cancer is also sometimes detected when people have ultrasounds or CT scans to look for other health problems.
Early Signs Thyroid cancer
Thyroid cancer has some main signs including:
– Tumor in the neck.
– Hoarseness voice.
– Appearance of thyroid tumor: tumor has characteristics of hardness and clear edges, surface can be smooth or rough and moves according to swallowing rhythm.
– Appearance of lymph nodes in the neck : lymph nodes are often small, soft, mobile and on the same side as the tumor.
Later symptoms may be:
– Large solid tumor fixed in front of the neck.
– Hoarseness can cause difficulty breathing.
– Difficulty swallowing due to tumor pressure.
– Skin in the neck area may be infiltrated or have bleeding ulcers.
According to the Cancer Association US blood tests or thyroid ultrasound can often find changes in the thyroid gland. However, these tests are not recommended as a thyroid cancer screening test unless a person is at high risk such as having a family history of thyroid cancer. There are currently no recommended screening tests for early detection of thyroid cancer in people at average risk.
People with a family history of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) with or without multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2) may have a very high risk of developing this cancer. Most doctors recommend genetic testing for these people when they are young to see if they carry the genetic changes associated with MTC. In addition, blood tests and thyroid ultrasound can help find MTC in the early stages when the disease is still curable.
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