Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck, just above your collarbone. It makes hormones that help the body work normally. Anyone can get cancer of the thyroid gland. But certain factors may increase the risk. These include
- Being between ages 25 and 65
- Being a woman
- Being Asian
- Having a family member who has had thyroid disease
- Having radiation treatments to your head or neck
You should see a doctor if you have a lump or swelling in your neck. Your doctor can order tests to see if you have cancer and, if so, which type. Treatment depends on the type and how far the cancer has spread. They include surgery, radioactive iodine, hormone treatment, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Some patients receive a combination of treatments.
National Cancer Institute
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What Is Thyroid Cancer?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_1x_what_is_thyroid_cancer_43.asp?sitearea=cri
Also available in Spanish http://www.cancer.org/docroot/esp/content/esp_5_1x_que_es_43.asp?
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What You Need to Know about Thyroid Cancer
(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/thyroid
- Thyroid Cancer(American Society of Clinical Oncology) - http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Thyroid+Cancer
- Thyroid Cancer(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/thyroid-cancer/DS00492/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Thyroid Cancer: Frequently Asked Questions(American Thyroid Association) - http://www.thyroid.org/patients/faqs/cancer_of_thyroid.html
- Radiation Exposure Linked to Aggressive Thyroid Cancers(04/20/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_83132.html
- Calcitonin(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/calcitonin/test.html
- Can Thyroid Cancer Be Found Early?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_3x_can_thyroid_cancer_be_found_early_43.asp?sitearea=cri
- Fine Needle Aspiration(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/fineNeedleAspiration.cfm
- How Is Thyroid Cancer Diagnosed?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_3x_how_is_thyroid_cancer_diagnosed_43.asp?sitearea=&level=
- How Is Thyroid Cancer Staged?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_3x_how_is_thyroid_cancer_staged_43.asp?sitearea=&level=
- Needle Biopsy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/needle-biopsy/MY00088/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
- Thyroglobulin(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/thyroglobulin/test.html
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Thyroid Scan and Uptake(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=thyroiduptake
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=thyroiduptake
- TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone) Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/tsh/test.html
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Ultrasound of the Thyroid Gland(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=us-thyroid
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=us-thyroid
- Chemotherapy(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_4x_chemotherapy_43.asp?sitearea=cri
- External Beam Radiation Therapy(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_4x_external_beam_radiation_therapy_43.asp?sitearea=cri
- Radioactive Iodine Therapy(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_4x_radioactive_iodine_therapy_43.asp?sitearea=cri
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Thyroid Cancer (PDQ): Treatment(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/thyroid/patient/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cancer.gov/espanol/pdq/tratamiento/tiroides/patient/
- Thyroid Hormone Treatment(American Thyroid Association) - http://www.thyroid.org/patients/patient_brochures/hormonetreatment.html
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Thyroid Surgery(American Thyroid Association) - http://www.thyroid.org/patients/patient_brochures/surgery.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.thyroid.org/patients/brochures/Spanish/cirugia_tiroides.pdf
- Treatment of Thyroid Cancer by Stage(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_4x_treatment_of_thyroid_cancer_by_stage_43.asp?sitearea=cri
- Can Thyroid Cancer Be Prevented?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_2x_can_thyroid_cancer_be_prevented_43.asp?sitearea=&level=
- How to Take the Thyroid "Neck Check"(American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists) - Links to PDF - http://www.aace.com/public/awareness/tam/2006/pdfs/NeckCheckCard.pdf
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What Are the Risk Factors for Thyroid Cancer?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_2x_what_are_the_risk_factors_for_thyroid_cancer_43.asp?sitearea=cri
Also available in Spanish http://www.cancer.org/docroot/esp/content/esp_5_1x_prevencion_y_factores_de_riesgo_43.asp?
- Thyroid Cancer: What Happens after Treatment?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_5x_what_happens_after_treatment_43.asp?sitearea=&level=
- Hurthle Cell Cancer(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/hurthle-cell-cancer/DS00660/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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Nuclear Radiation and the Thyroid(American Thyroid Association) - http://www.thyroid.org/patients/patient_brochures/nuclearradiation.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.thyroid.org/patients/patient_brochures/spanish/radiacion_nuclear_y_la_tirodes.html
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Radioactive I-131 from Fallout(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/i131
- What Should You Ask Your Doctor about Thyroid Cancer?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_5x_what_should_you_ask_your_physician_about_thyroid_cancer_43.asp?sitearea=cri
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Advances in Parotidectomy and Minimally Invasive Thyroidectomy Procedures(OR-Live) - One hour program - 7/30/2008 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/nlm-flash/ens_2312/rnh.cfm?id=759
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Advances in Parotidectomy and Thyroidectomy Surgery(OR-Live) - One hour program - 12/11/2007 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/nlm-flash/ens_1882/rnh.cfm?id=669
- Minimally Invasive Thyroidectomy(OR-Live) - One hour program - 6/15/2006 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=320
- Thyroid Surgery Minimally Invasive Techniques(OR-Live) - One hour program - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=302
- Atlas of the Body: The Endocrine System(American Medical Association) - http://www.medem.com/medlib/article/ZZZW5TZ46JC
- Compassionate Allowances(Social Security Administration) - http://www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances/
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Thyroid Neoplasms(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Thyroid+Neoplasms%22
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Genetics Home Reference: Multiple endocrine neoplasia(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=multipleendocrineneoplasia
- Do We Know What Causes Thyroid Cancer?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_2x_do_we_know_what_causes_thyroid_cancer_43.asp?sitearea=&level=
- What's New in Thyroid Cancer Research and Treatment?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_6x_whats_new_in_thyroid_cancer_research_and_treatment_43.asp?sitearea=cri
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Central lymph node dissection as a secondary procedure for papillary... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19375610&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Glutathione peroxidase 3 gene polymorphisms and risk of differentiated thyroid... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19375609&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Sentinel node biopsy for follicular tumours of the thyroid gland. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19358183&tool=MedlinePlus
- Thyroid Cancer -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=thyroid+neoplasms[majr:noexp]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
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Dictionary of Cancer Terms(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary/
- Find a Thyroid Specialist(American Thyroid Association) - http://www.thyroid.org/patients/specialists.php
- Find an Oncologist(American Society of Clinical Oncology) - http://www.cancer.net/patient/Diagnosis+and+Treatment/Finding+Quality+Care/Find+an+Oncologist/Find+an+Oncologist+Database
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National Cancer Institute Cancer Centers Program(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/NCI/cancer-centers
Also available in Spanish http://www.cancer.gov/espanol/instituto/hojas-informativas/programa-centros-oncologicos
- American Cancer Society - http://www.cancer.org/
- American Thyroid Association - http://www.thyroid.org/
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National Cancer Institute - http://www.cancer.gov/
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Cancer of the Thyroid(National Cancer Institute) - http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/thyro.html
- What Are the Key Statistics for Thyroid Cancer?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_1x_what_are_the_key_statistics_for_thyroid_cancer_43.asp?sitearea=&level=
- Pediatric Thyroid Cancer(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/Pediatric-Thyroid-Cancer.cfm
- Cancers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cancers.html
- Ear, Nose and Throat - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/earnoseandthroat.html
- Endocrine System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/endocrinesystem.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Thyroid Cancer is the National Cancer Institute - http://www.nci.nih.gov/
Thyroid Cancer - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/thyroidcancer.html