THYROID CANCERBy: Chenoweth Lim

Supporting the fighters, admiring the survivors, honoring the taken, and never ever giving up hope

What your thyroid is…

• Your thyroid is a gland

located in your neck just

below your adams apple

and right above your

shoulder bones. The

thyroid is shaped like a

butterfly, that is why

there is a butterfly on the

thyroid cancer ribbon.

How many types of thyroid cancer are there?

• There are 4 types of thyroid cancer.

1. Papillary

2. Follicular

3. Medullary

4. Anaplastic

Papillary Cancer

• Papillary cancer is the most common

type of thyroid cancer. 75% to 85%

cases of thyroid cancer are papillary.

It is most common in women

between the ages of 30-50. It also

has the best survival rate.

Medullary Cancer

• Medullary cancer originates from the

parafollicular cells. Medullary tumors are

the 3rd most common of all thyroid cancers.

It makes up 3% of all thyroid cancer cases.

Medullary carcinoma has a much lower

cure rate than papillary and follicular, but

cure rates are higher than anaplastic.

Follicular Cancer

• Women are three times more likely than

men to get follicular cancer. It usually

occurs between the ages of 40-60.

Follicular cancer begins in the follicular

cells and grows slowly. It can be treated

successfully if diagnosed at an early

stage.

Anaplastic Cancer

• Anaplastic cancer is most common in

older people 65 and older. It is the

most rare and aggressive type of

thyroid cancer. Survival rates are

very low and usually death occurs

within a year of diagnosis.

What is the most common type of thyroid cancer?

• Papillary and follicular, or a mixture

of both are the most common. They

usually are slow growing and have a

high survival rate. Papillary is now

one of the top 10 most common

cancers in the U.S.

What is the most aggressive type of thyroid cancer?

• Anaplastic is the most aggressive, it

is also the most rare. It is found

mostly in those who are 65 or older.

Sadly in most cases death occurs in

less than a year.

Symptoms…

1. A lump in the front or side of your

neck

2. Hoarseness or change in your voice

3. Difficulty swallowing or breathing

4. Swollen lymph nodes in the neck

5. Pain in the throat or neck

What are your lymph nodes?• Lymph nodes are bean-shaped

glands that are located all

over your body. Thyroid

cancer can sometimes spread

to the lymph nodes in your

neck. The purpose of your

lymph nodes is to filter

bacteria, cancer cells, and

other foreign cells that travel

through the lymphatic system.

LYMPHATIC SYSTEM

Where your lymph nodes a

re…

Causes…

• The exact cause of thyroid cancer is not

know yet. Though certain change in your

DNA can cause cells to be cancerous.

Radiation also increases the risk of getting

thyroid cancer. Exposure may come from,

radiation to the neck and radiation

exposure from nuclear power plant.

Treatment options…• Surgery is always the best way to go. It gives you a better chance of

complete cure if the tumor is removed before if spreads anywhere

else. Even if it has spread to your lymph nodes, you can get them

removed. Another treatment option is radioiodine therapy. It uses

radioactive iodine to destroy all disease left over in cells. You can also

do chemotherapy.

Best place for treatment…

• MD Anderson is the best place you can go for treatment.

It is located in Houston Texas. They have an Endocrine

center that provides specialized diagnosis and treatment

for a diverse group of disorders. Thyroid cancer is one of

the diverse disorders. MD Anderson also specializes in

other cancers and have centers for them. There are

other locations outside of Texas. Such as, Albuquerque

New Mexico, Orlando Florida, Phoenix Arizona, and

international ones in Turkey and Madrid Spain.

MD ANDERSON BUILDING

Located in Houston Texas

What involves surgery of the thyroid involve…

• Lobectomy: A Lobectomy is where only

one lobe of the thyroid is removed. This

is usually done when there is cancer in

only one part of your thyroid.

Replacement thyroid medication may be

required after surgery.

• Total Thyroidectomy: A total

thyroidectomy is where both lobes of the

thyroid gland are removed. Because the

entire thyroid is removed, the patient

must take replacement thyroid

medication for the rest of their lives.

 

• Lymph node dissection: A lymph

node dissection involves the

cancerous lymph nodes in the

center or sides of your neck to be

removed.

• Parathyroid gland autographing:

There are 4 to 5 pea-sized glands

that are located on each corner of

the thyroid. Your parathyroid

keeps the calcium in your blood at

a normal level. So occasionally a

parathyroid may be inside of your

thyroid, and is removed during

surgery

Complications of surgery…

1. Infection or bleeding

2. Hoarseness in voice due to the nerves behind

your thyroid gland becoming injured. Hoarseness

may get better over time, but sometimes its

permanent

3. Difficulty swallowing

4. Injury to the parathyroid glands

CELEBRITIES THAT HAVE HAD THYROID CANCER

Sofia Vergara

KATEE SACKOFF

BROOKE BURKE

Life without a thyroid…

• Yes, it is possible to live without a thyroid.

People who have had their

entire thyroid

removed can live long and normal lives. Its

only necessary to take one thyroid hormone

pill a day and have occasional blood tests

to check the thyroid hormone level.