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Everything You Need to Know About Thyroid Cancer: Types, Symptoms, Risk Factors & Diagnosis
May 25 is World Thyroid Day. Therefore, Wday talked with an endocrinologist and asked him for information about the types, symptoms and diagnosis of the disease.
According to , published by the American Cancer Society, annually diagnoses about 16 cases of cancer in this localization per 100 thousand people. Moreover, women get sick three times more often than men. What are the first symptoms of the disease? Why does the disease occur? Who is at risk and how often you should visit a doctor in order not to miss the development of cancer, we were told by the candidate of medical sciences, endocrinologist of the European clinic Elena Vsevolodovna Murakhovskaya.
Endocrinologist at the European Clinic of Oncology, Candidate of Medical Sciences
What is the thyroid gland?
The thyroid gland is an endocrine gland that produces a number of hormones necessary to maintain homeostasis (the constancy of the internal environment of the body). It is located on the front of the neck.
The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormones that stimulate the metabolism in all cells of our body. These hormones are responsible for many vital functions: they regulate the activity of the brain, nervous and cardiovascular systems, the musculoskeletal system, reproductive function and the immune system, as well as the functioning of the mammary and gonads. Therefore, a decrease in the functions of the thyroid gland or pathology in it entail disruptions in the work of all organs.
Most people do not think about this organ of internal secretion until there are obvious problems. Thyroid pathology is often asymptomatic for a long time. One of the most serious diseases of the thyroid gland is its malignant tumor.
Is it cancer?
Each cell in our body has its own “lifespan”. After this period expires, old and damaged cells die, and new ones come to replace them. Sometimes, in the process of cellular renewal, “breakdowns” occur, which leads to the formation of a tumor. Healthy cells under the influence of various external and internal factors can degenerate into malignant ones. The tumor grows and can metastasize, that is, spread with the blood flow to other parts of the body and form new foci there.
Thyroid cancer is the most common neoplastic disease of the endocrine system. Tumors of this localization are differentiated и poorly differentiated.
The former respond well to treatment and rarely relapse. These include the following.
Papillary cancer Is the most common type of thyroid cancer. It accounts for 8 out of 10 cases of the disease. Most often it is a dense single knot up to 5 cm in size. Sometimes there are multiple knots. On ultrasound, the tumor visually resembles branching stems. Papillary cancer grows slowly and usually affects only the tissues of the gland itself and nearby lymph nodes, rarely spreads outside the organ.
Follicular cancer – it accounts for 1 in 10 cases of malignant disease. This form is more aggressive than papillary cancer. Rarely affects the lymph nodes, but can give distant metastases.
Medullary cancer – it accounts for about 4% of all cases of thyroid cancer. These tumors develop from thyroid C cells that produce calcitonin (a hormone that regulates calcium metabolism). Medullary cancer has a high hormonal activity, is prone to the formation of secondary tumors in the internal organs and is difficult to treat.
Poorly differentiated tumors are characterized by an aggressive nature and early metastasis. They have a poorer prognosis and are less common than differentiated ones. Such neoplasms include anaplastic cancer… It is diagnosed in about 2% of cases. A tumor of this type is characterized by rapid growth. Cancer spreads very quickly to other tissues, which makes radical surgical treatment almost impossible. Atypical cells penetrate into nearby vessels, grow into hollow organs (larynx, trachea, esophagus).
It is important to note that many tumors have long ceased to be a death sentence, especially in the case of early diagnosis. With a timely visit to a doctor and detection of the disease at the initial stage, the prognosis is also favorable for those who have thyroid cancer, since the pathology responds well to treatment.
Is it possible to diagnose a tumor in the early stages?
Often, cancer has no clinical manifestations and is found accidentally in the form of a node in the thyroid gland during ultrasound or at an appointment with an endocrinologist. There are cases when the patient himself discovers in himself puffiness or knots on the front of the neck – this is the first and most common symptom of thyroid lesion that worries a person.
As the disease progresses, it manifests itself in others. symptoms… You may experience:
hoarseness of voice;
a feeling of a lump in the throat that makes it difficult to swallow;
dyspnea;
labored breathing;
cough;
at advanced stages, when the tumor has reached a large size and squeezes the adjacent organs, pains in the neck appear, spreading to the ear.
The tumor process can develop against the background of existing diseases in this localization, such as adenoma, autoimmune thyroiditis (an inflammatory disease of the thyroid gland, which, as a rule, has a chronic course), pathology of the female reproductive system.
If at least one of the above symptoms is found, it is imperative to consult an endocrinologist. Diagnosis of the thyroid gland begins with anamnesis. The doctor assesses the clinical picture and prescribes the necessary examinations for the patient (ultrasound, if necessary, biopsy and radioisotope studies) and tests (blood tests for some tumor markers).
With the help of ultrasound, it is possible to assess the size and location of the neoplasm, and also to suggest whether the lump is a cyst or cancerous tumor. A puncture (biopsy) allows you to detect atypical cells and establish an accurate diagnosis. It can be performed even if the knot is less than 1 cm in size.
What risk factors are there?
Cancer is a multifactorial disease, and the thyroid gland is sensitive to a number of influences. Among the factors that increase the likelihood of developing the disease are:
age: the disease also occurs in young people, but women over 40 and men over the age of 60 are at risk;
floor: the disease prevails in women, the ratio with the statistics of morbidity in men is 3: 1;
family history: if your first-line relatives (mother, father, sister or brother) have a tumor in the endocrine gland, then your risk of the disease increases;
iodine deficiency: people who are deficient in this trace element are more likely to suffer from follicular cancer;
smoking: carcinogenic substances contained in tobacco reduce the body’s ability to resist abnormal cells;
ionizing radiation: the thyroid gland among all organs is the most susceptible to this factor. Even if the radiation was carried out for medicinal purposes, the risk of developing cancer becomes higher than in people who have not been exposed to such exposure.
Prevention of disease
In the early stages, the pathology of the thyroid gland is weak or there are no symptoms at all, therefore, for prevention, it is necessary to visit an endocrinologist annually. Also, according to the recommendations , it is necessary to adhere to a balanced diet, control body weight. Refusal of bad habits and physical activity is the best prevention of cancer.