Thyroid cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the world right now. It is the cancer of the thyroid gland, which is located on the front side of the trachea right below the larynx (voice box). It is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland that plays a major role in maintaining normal body metabolism. A disease of the thyroid gland can cause a severe anomaly in the functioning of the body and result in things like hormone abnormalities, especially in women.
While the various types of thyroid cancer have been known to generally affect people belonging to older age groups, the present-day has noticed many cases of children suffering from various types of the disease too.
1. Statistics
Thyroid cancer is more common among women more than men. As per reports, women are more likely to suffer from various thyroid cancer types between the ages of 20 to 34.
Every year, thousands of cases of thyroid cancer are reported. In the present year, more than 52000 cases of the disease are estimated to occur in the country. Among them, the proportion of women has been estimated to be nearly 39000.
2. Facts about thyroid cancer
Thyroid cancer is the most common form of endocrine cancer and can affect individuals of all ages. In recent years, an increasing number of children have been diagnosed with the condition. The major thyroid cancer types are papillary thyroid cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, follicular thyroid cancer, and anaplastic thyroid cancer. The symptoms of the conditions aren’t always detected in the early stages and they are often mistaken for symptoms of other conditions.
Among the various types, follicular, as well as, papillary thyroid cancer comprise almost 90% of the cases reported each year. These are also detected easily as compared to the other types and can be cured if the diagnosis is done on time.
Medullary thyroid cancer types comprise approximately 4% of all cancer cases reported every year. Though not very common, medullary thyroid cancers are fully curable if detected in the early stages.
Among the others, the rarest type of thyroid cancer is known to be anaplastic thyroid cancer which affects only 1-2% of the people every year. It is of the most aggressive forms of cancer and is thus difficult to be controlled. It involved several types of complications in most cases and thus needs to be treated via a series of surgery, intensive chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
The various types of thyroid cancer have a high rate of recurrence as the disease has been reported to recur in 30% of the cases. Hence, the individuals who have a prior history of polyps, nodules, or cancer must visit their doctor for regular check-ups and must keep an eye on their condition. If cancer is suspected, it is best to conduct the required blood tests without any delay.