Thyroid Cancer - Symptoms, treatments, and survival rates

The word "Cancer" sends a chill down the spine of even the most hardened of person.

As a survivor of thyroid cancer, at the age of only 35, I feel compiled to share this article.

As mentioned in my other articles on thyroid disease, the thyroid is situated in the neck, just below the "adam's apple." it is one of the most important endocrine glands in our body, and controls ourmetabolism.

Thyroid cancer, like so many other cancers may, and in many cases have no symptoms at all in its early stages. The sufferer may feel a soreness of the throat, or horseness, or a slight difficulty in swallowing.

Thyroid cancer may or not be accompanied by an enlargement of the thyroid gland ( goiter ) This is how my particular case was discovered, as regular scans on a goiter I had present showed what appeared to be foreign cells, a sample being taken from the nodule by means of a puncture of the nodule.

Unfortunately, analysis of these cells, can only give some indication as to if malignant cells may be present, but the only way to actually confirm the presence of malignant cells is by performing a biopsy.

If cancer is suspected, a full removal of the thyroid gland will be necessary, followed by lifetime medication to replace the hormones our thyroid normally makes itself.

Once a biopsy confirms the presence of malignant cells, the decision will be made as to what treatment is necessary.

In my particular case, the malignant cells were in their first stages of formation, and therefore I was given the all clear, as the cancer could not have spread.

If there is a larger percentage of malignant cells, the patient will start radioactive iodine treatment. Thyroid cancer is unique in that chemotherapy is not used.

After each dose of radioactive iodine treatment, the pacient will be kept in isolation for up to 15 days, and especially will not be able to go near children.

Survival rates:

Survival rates obviously depend on a large range of factors:

Age, sex, race, stage at which it was discovered etc..

In general Thyroid cancer has an excellent survival rate, as it is a very slow spreading cancer, and only in the worst of cases, can spread to the lymph nodes, and to other parts of the body.

As a general 5 year rule, regardless of age of pacient, a 95% survival rate is given. This means that 95% of people who have been treated for thyroid cancer will still be alive 5 years after they started treatment.