Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer develops in the thyroid gland, a butterfly-shaped gland located at the front of the neck. Many thyroid cancers grow slowly and can be successfully treated, especially when detected early.

Common Types

Papillary thyroid cancer – the most common type and generally slow-growing.

Follicular thyroid cancer – can spread to distant organs in some cases.

Medullary thyroid cancer – develops from thyroid C cells and may sometimes run in families.

Anaplastic thyroid cancer – rare but aggressive and requires urgent specialist treatment.

Anaplastic thyroid cancer – rare but aggressive and requires urgent specialist treatment.

Symptoms

Thyroid cancer may not cause symptoms in its early stages. Possible signs include:

A lump or swelling in the neck

Enlarged lymph nodes

Persistent hoarseness or voice changes

Difficulty swallowing

Difficulty breathing

Persistent neck discomfort or pain

Diagnosis

Evaluation may include a clinical examination, thyroid ultrasound, blood tests, fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy, and other imaging tests when required.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the type, size, stage, and spread of the cancer. Options may include:

Surgery to remove part or all of the thyroid

Radioactive iodine therapy

Thyroid hormone therapy

Targeted therapy

Radiation therapy or other systemic treatments in selected cases