Thyroid Health Awareness: American Thyroid Association · Dieting Right · American Assoc. Of Clinical Endincrinology · Thyroid Cancer · Other Thyroid Conditions
Source: Good Morning America
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of the neck, which produces hormones that affect every tissue in the body. As a key part of the endocrine system, the thyroid regulates breathing, heart rate, body temperature, muscle control and even mood. Because of its function, the thyroid is necessary for survival, and patients living without it have to take a hormone-replacement medication.
The American Cancer Society said thyroid cancer is among the fastest-increasing cancers, estimating that more than 52,000 new cases will be reported this year. Women are three times more likely to develop thyroid cancer than men.
Dr. Benjamin R. Roman, a surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, told “GMA” what people should know about the symptoms of thyroid cancer.
Roman said that the main symptom to prompt an evaluation for thyroid cancer is a lump in the neck. “If you look in the mirror and you see a lump in the low part of the neck or you feel a lump when you’re swallowing, that’s really the most common symptom of a new thyroid cancer,” Roman said.
Other symptoms can include pain in the front of the neck, voice hoarseness, trouble swallowing and breathing, and a constant cough.
There are also steps you can take at home to detect a potential thyroid cancer, such as neck check, which Roman demonstrated. “A growth in the thyroid would be visible if you were looking in the mirror,” said Roman, adding, “it would be especially visible if you were swallowing.”
“If you discover a lump or bump in your thyroid, it’s important that you find experts who can talk to you about this nuance and make sure that the treatment pathway is personalized for you,” Roman said.
Thyroid cancer treatment can include surgery, radioactive iodine, external beam radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and thyroid hormone therapy.
Although most thyroid cancers are treatable when caught early, the Thyroid Cancer Survivors Association said there’s a 30% chance of it recurring, and monitoring should continue for a patient’s lifetime.