Thyroid Cancer
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. It produces hormones that regulate your blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and weight. Thyroid nodules or lumps in the neck are very common, so your doctor will need to perform various tests to diagnose the issue. Your physician my recommend a blood test, ultrasound or nuclear medicine scans and a fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid nodule.
Symptoms & Treatment of Thyroid Cancer
Doctors aren't sure exactly what causes thyroid cancer. Symptoms of thyroid cancer include:
• A lump in your neck
• Difficulty swallowing
• Changes to your voice
• Pain in the neck and throat
If you are diagnosed with thyroid cancer, treatment will depend on a number of factors, including what type of thyroid cancer it is. The treatment for thyroid cancer involves surgery, replacement with thyroid hormone that’s slightly higher than normal physiological levels, and in some situations, radioactive iodine therapy. Chemotherapy is rarely used for thyroid cancer.
If you do undergo radioactive iodine therapy, it will occur in the nuclear medicine department of the hospital. In most cases, the patient takes a pill or liquid and then leaves. If it’s a high dose therapy, you may need to stay in the hospital for a brief period of time to limit the potential exposure of radiation to others. The only organ in the body that retains iodine is the thyroid.
Pregnancy & Thyroid Cancer
If you’re diagnosed with thyroid cancer while you’re pregnant, there generally isn’t any adverse effect on the pregnancy. In most cases, a woman won’t undergo treatment until she has the baby and is finished breastfeeding, as thyroid cancer tends to be slow-growing. If you’re planning on getting pregnant, have had your thyroid removed and are on thyroid hormone replacement, it’s important to make sure that your thyroid blood levels are normal at the time of conception and throughout pregnancy.
Thyroid cancer can usually be cured. Despite treatment, it can return, even if you've had your thyroid removed.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you'd like more information on thyroid cancer.
Visit HealthChoicesFirst.com for more videos and resources on metabolic issues.
Print this Action Plan and check off items that you want to discuss with your healthcare provider
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Thyroid nodules or lumps in the neck are very common, so your doctor will need to perform various tests to diagnose the issue.
-
Symptoms of thyroid cancer include a lump in your neck, difficulty swallowing, changes to your voice and pain in the neck and throat.
-
The treatment for thyroid cancer involves surgery, replacement with thyroid hormone that’s slightly higher than normal physiological levels, and in some situations, radioactive iodine therapy. Chemotherapy is rarely used for thyroid cancer.
-
If you’re diagnosed with thyroid cancer while you’re pregnant, there generally isn’t any adverse effect on the pregnancy. In most cases, a woman won’t undergo treatment until she has the baby and is finished breastfeeding.
-
Thyroid cancer can usually be cured. Despite treatment, it can return, even if you've had your thyroid removed.
Thyroid Cancer Quiz
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True/False - Quiz: Do You Understand Thyroid Cancer?
Information - Thyroid Cancer
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. It produces hormones that regulate your blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and weight. Thyroid nodules or lumps in the neck are very common, so your doctor will need to perform various tests to diagnose the issue. Your physician my recommend a blood test, ultrasound or nuclear medicine scans and a fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid nodule.
Symptoms & Treatment of Thyroid Cancer
Doctors aren't sure exactly what causes thyroid cancer. Symptoms of thyroid cancer include:
• A lump in your neck
• Difficulty swallowing
• Changes to your voice
• Pain in the neck and throat
If you are diagnosed with thyroid cancer, treatment will depend on a number of factors, including what type of thyroid cancer it is. The treatment for thyroid cancer involves surgery, replacement with thyroid hormone that’s slightly higher than normal physiological levels, and in some situations, radioactive iodine therapy. Chemotherapy is rarely used for thyroid cancer.
If you do undergo radioactive iodine therapy, it will occur in the nuclear medicine department of the hospital. In most cases, the patient takes a pill or liquid and then leaves. If it’s a high dose therapy, you may need to stay in the hospital for a brief period of time to limit the potential exposure of radiation to others. The only organ in the body that retains iodine is the thyroid.
Pregnancy & Thyroid Cancer
If you’re diagnosed with thyroid cancer while you’re pregnant, there generally isn’t any adverse effect on the pregnancy. In most cases, a woman won’t undergo treatment until she has the baby and is finished breastfeeding, as thyroid cancer tends to be slow-growing. If you’re planning on getting pregnant, have had your thyroid removed and are on thyroid hormone replacement, it’s important to make sure that your thyroid blood levels are normal at the time of conception and throughout pregnancy.
Thyroid cancer can usually be cured. Despite treatment, it can return, even if you've had your thyroid removed.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you'd like more information on thyroid cancer.
Visit HealthChoicesFirst.com for more videos and resources on metabolic issues.
Print this Action Plan and check off items that you want to discuss with your healthcare provider
-
Thyroid nodules or lumps in the neck are very common, so your doctor will need to perform various tests to diagnose the issue.
-
Symptoms of thyroid cancer include a lump in your neck, difficulty swallowing, changes to your voice and pain in the neck and throat.
-
The treatment for thyroid cancer involves surgery, replacement with thyroid hormone that’s slightly higher than normal physiological levels, and in some situations, radioactive iodine therapy. Chemotherapy is rarely used for thyroid cancer.
-
If you’re diagnosed with thyroid cancer while you’re pregnant, there generally isn’t any adverse effect on the pregnancy. In most cases, a woman won’t undergo treatment until she has the baby and is finished breastfeeding.
-
Thyroid cancer can usually be cured. Despite treatment, it can return, even if you've had your thyroid removed.
