Thyroid cancer is a serious disease in which cancer cells first develop in the thyroid gland. This eMedTV article presents an overview of the disease, including information about its symptoms, how it is diagnosed, and available treatment options.
Papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic are the four types of thyroid cancer. This segment of the eMedTV Web site highlights the distinct characteristics of each of these types and also explains metastatic thyroid cancer in detail.
The exact cause of thyroid cancer remains unknown; however, as explained in this eMedTV segment, researchers have identified certain factors (such as exposure to high levels of radiation) that increase a person's chances of developing the disease.
For people with thyroid cancer, symptoms may include a lump in the front of the neck and throat pain. This eMedTV article describes symptoms and signs of the disease, which may also include swollen lymph nodes, difficulty swallowing, and hoarseness.
A thyroid cancer diagnosis usually involves a physical exam and a review of the patient's medical history. This eMedTV article explains how thyroid cancer is diagnosed and discusses tests used in the process (such as blood tests and ultrasounds).
Determining the extent of a disease is called staging. This eMedTV segment describes the various tests doctors used to stage thyroid cancer and defines the various categories used to express the extent of different types of thyroid cancer.
Surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are some of the options for treating thyroid cancer. This eMedTV article discusses the treatment of this disease, including information about side effects, nutrition, and follow-up care.
Routine, effective thyroid cancer screening tests are not yet available for all types of the disease. As this eMedTV page explains, however, screening tests have been developed for genes involved in certain hereditary forms of thyroid cancer.
A prognosis is a medical opinion as to the course and outcome of the disease. This eMedTV article describes factors that may affect a person's prognosis for thyroid cancer and discusses survival rates for people with the disease.
As this eMedTV page explains, research is currently being done on thyroid cancer to improve the treatment of the disease. This article discusses research being done on this condition and also talks about the benefits and risks of participating in trials.
Based on thyroid cancer statistics, an estimated 30,180 Americans will be diagnosed with the cancer in 2006. This eMedTV resource contains a variety of statistics concerning thyroid cancer, including survival rates and age-at-diagnosis figures.
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