Types of Thyroid Cancer

There are four main types of thyroid cancer: papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic. The papillary and follicular forms of thyroid cancer are the most common, accounting for 80 to 90 percent of all thyroid cancers. Both of these thyroid cancers tend to grow slowly. Medullary thyroid cancer arises in C cells and is easier to control if it is found and treated before it spreads. The least common type of thyroid cancer is anaplastic thyroid cancer, which is hard to detect and often spreads quickly.

 

Types of Thyroid Cancer: An Introduction

There are four main types of thyroid cancer that are based on how the cancer cells look under a microscope. These types of thyroid cancer include:
 
  • Papillary
  • Follicular
  • Medullary
  • Anaplastic.
 
If thyroid cancer spreads outside of the thyroid, it is called metastatic thyroid cancer.
 

Understanding the Thyroid

The thyroid is a gland that is shaped like a butterfly and lies at the front of the neck, beneath the voice box (larynx).
 
A healthy thyroid:
 
  • Is a little larger than a quarter and cannot be felt through the skin
  • Is made up of two parts (lobes) that are separated by a thin section called the isthmus
  • Has two kinds of cells, follicular cells and C cells, which produce hormones.
 
Follicular cells make thyroid hormone, which affects heart rate, body temperature, and energy level. C cells make calcitonin, which is a hormone that helps control the level of calcium in the blood. A swollen lobe (goiter) might look or feel like a lump in the front of the neck and is usually the result of not getting enough iodine in the diet. Iodine is a substance that is found in shellfish and iodized salt.
 
(Types of Thyroid Cancer Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD