Malignant neoplasm of the thyroid gland; there are four types: papillary, follicular, medullary, and undifferentiated; treatment has a very high success rate.
A cancerous tumor that develops in one or both lobes of the thyroid, the butterfly-shaped gland located below the Adam’s apple at the front of the neck. Thyroid cancer is rare and affects women more than men.
A rare disease that accounts for around 1 per cent of all cancers, cancer of the thyroid gland usually presents as an isolated hard nodule in the neck. The rate at which the nodule grows depends upon the patient’s age and type of cancer cell. Pain is not usually a feature, but the increasing size may result in the tumour pressing on vital structures in the neck for example, the nerves controlling the larynx (resulting in hoarseness) and the pharynx (causing difficulty in swallowing). If more than one nodule is present, they are likely to be benign, not malignant. Treatment is by surgical removal after which the patient will need to take thyroxine for the rest of his or her life. Radioactive iodine is usually given after surgery to destroy any residual cancerous cells. If treated early, the outlook is good.