Thyroid Cancer Symptoms, Causes, and How to Treat It
Health
The thyroid gland also functions to make protein and regulates the body's sensitivity to other hormones.
Knowing information about thyroid cancer, such as symptoms, causes, and treatment is very important as a way to prevent it from happening. After that, Superblogseo Friends should make lifestyle changes because about 80-90% of cancer is caused by the environment in the patient himself, while 5 to 10% is caused by genetics or heredity.
Come on, see the explanation about the symptoms of thyroid cancer, the causes, and the following treatment steps.
Thyroid cancer symptoms
The thyroid gland is located at the base of the neck, just below the Adam's apple and above the breastbone. The shape resembles a butterfly, which when disturbed, a lump will appear.Thyroid cancer usually does not cause signs or symptoms early in the disease. However, there are several conditions that are characteristic of developing thyroid cancer, namely:
- A lump in the neck that feels hard, doesn't move easily and gets bigger over time.
- Hoarseness
- Difficulty breathing
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Pain in the neck and throat
- Difficulty swallowing
- Cough but not flu
Causes of thyroid cancer
Thyroid cancer is the most common type of cancer that occurs in the glandular system that produces hormones (the endocrine system). This disease is more common in women than men, where 90 percent comes from follicular cells.Meanwhile, the causes of thyroid cancer are several factors, such as:
- Dietary factors such as excess or lack of iodine
- Radiation exposure
- Inherited genetic syndrome. Some conditions, including cancer, stem from DNA obtained from parents.
Types of thyroid cancer
As is well known, cancer is a disease caused by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. In thyroid cancer, cancer cells can first appear in the cells that make up the thyroid gland, thereby impairing the function of the gland.There are several types of thyroid cancer that are distinguished based on the area where the cancer cells appear. Types of thyroid cancer according to MayoClinic include:
Papillary thyroid cancer
The first type is the most common form of thyroid cancer. Papillary thyroid cancer, also known as papillary thyroid carcinoma, arises from the follicular cells, which produce and store thyroid hormones.This condition can occur at any age but most often affects people aged 30-50 years.
Follicular thyroid cancer
Follicular thyroid cancer (follicular adenocarcinoma) also arises from the follicular cells of the thyroid. It usually affects people older than 50 years of age. Hurthle cell cancer is a rare and potentially more aggressive type of follicular thyroid cancer.Anaplastic thyroid cancer
Anaplastic thyroid cancer is a rare type of thyroid cancer that begins in the follicular cells. This type grows quickly and is very difficult to treat.Usually, this type of cancer occurs in adults aged 60 years and over.
Medullary thyroid cancer
Medullary thyroid cancer begins in thyroid cells called C cells, which produce the hormone calcitonin. Elevated levels of calcitonin in the blood may indicate medullary thyroid cancer at a very early stage.Certain genetic syndromes increase the risk of medullary thyroid cancer, although this genetic link is rare.
Other rare types
Other very rare types of cancer that start in the thyroid include thyroid lymphoma, which starts in the cells of the thyroid immune system, and thyroid sarcoma, which starts in the connective tissue cells of the thyroid.How to treat thyroid cancer
Then, whether thyroid gland cancer can be treated? Thyroid cancer is usually very treatable, even if you are at a more advanced stage.If you have an enlarged thyroid nodule or other signs of thyroid cancer, your doctor will recommend early detection procedures such as blood tests, a biopsy, or an MRI, CT scan and positron emission tomography (PET) scan to detect thyroid cancer and the spread of cancer.
The most common treatment for thyroid cancer is surgery to remove part of the thyroid gland (lobectomy) or the entire gland (thyroidectomy). However, this surgery depends on the size and location of the tumor. Doctors also remove nearby lymph nodes where cancer cells have spread.
If surgery is not possible, the patient will undergo chemotherapy to kill cancer cells and stop cancer growth. However, very few patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer require chemotherapy.
Treatment of diseases that attack the thyroid gland, such as thyroid cancer, can be done by a specialist in internal medicine, an endocrinologist, an ENT specialist, or a surgeon who specializes in oncology.
Immediately see a doctor if you find any of the symptoms. Don't forget to do regular medical check-ups to find out more about your health condition.
To make it easier when you want to make an appointment with a doctor, make an online consultation appointment through the Mitra Keluarga website.
Friends of Superblogseo can also take advantage of the telemedicine services owned by superblogseo
Hopefully this information is useful, yes!