More than 40,000 new cases of thyroid cancer are diagnosed each year, the majority occurring in women. While rates of diagnosis for thyroid cancer are high, the disease is also highly treatable, resulting in comparatively low death rates. As with most forms of cancer, the earlier thyroid cancer can be detected, the better the treatment outcome will be.
Speak with a Bayhealth cancer expert about treatment options.
Types of Thyroid Cancer
There are many forms of thyroid cancer, most of which are named after the cells where the disease originates. The following are among the most notable types of thyroid cancer.
- Papillary: The most common form of the disease, papillary thyroid cancer is highly treatable. Often affecting individuals aged 30 to 50, this condition can occur at any age.
- Follicular: Usually affecting people older than 50, this rare form of thyroid cancer can spread to your bones, lungs and other organs if left untreated for too long.
- Anaplastic: The most aggressive form of the disease, anaplastic thyroid cancer spreads (metastasizes) quickly, making it difficult to treat.
- Medullary: Very rare compared to other forms of the disease, medullary thyroid cancer often occurs in individuals who have a family history of the condition.
Other rare forms of thyroid cancer include lymphoma and sarcoma.
Signs and Symptoms
Although the disease rarely presents noticeable signs during its early stages, once it advances, thyroid cancer may cause the following symptoms.
- Lump or Swelling: Depending on where on your neck it’s located, a lump could be a swollen lymph node or a thyroid nodule, both of which may indicate thyroid cancer.
- Vocal Changes: Losing your voice or experiencing hoarseness when talking could be a sign of thyroid cancer or other conditions.
- Pain: A painful sensation in your neck and throat when swallowing or breathing may be an indication of thyroid cancer or other conditions.
Risk Factors & Prevention
Among the main risk factors for thyroid cancer are the following.
- Gender: Thyroid cancer is about three times more likely to occur in women than men.
- Radiation Exposure: If you’ve received radiation treatments in the past, or if you’ve been otherwise exposed to radiation, you may have a heightened risk for thyroid cancer.
- Obesity: High body weight can increase your risk for developing thyroid cancer.
- Other Conditions: Having a goiter (enlarged thyroid) or thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland) may increase your risk for thyroid cancer.
Family and Personal History
A family history of thyroid cancer can increase the risk that you will develop the disease at some point in your life. Other genetic syndromes that heighten the risk for developing thyroid cancer include multiple endocrine neoplasia, Cowden syndrome and familial adenomatous polyposis.
In clinical partnership with Penn Medicine’s Telegenetics Program, Bayhealth provides genetic counseling services to our patients. Using video-conferencing software that can be accessed at our Kent and Sussex campuses, genetic counselors at the Abramson Cancer Center will discuss your personal and family history with you and make genetic testing recommendations. These tests provide insight into your cancer risks and help our multidisciplinary medical team to determine the best treatment plan for your condition. To learn more about our telegenetics program or to participate, call us at 302-674-4401.
How We Diagnose Thyroid Cancer
We use the following diagnostic procedures to identify thyroid cancer.
- Physical Exam: An examination of your neck for physical changes—such as a lump (nodule) around your thyroid—will determine if further testing is needed.
- Blood Test: A blood analysis can indicate whether the thyroid is functioning properly.
- Radioiodine Scan: During this safe procedure, you swallow a pill containing radioactive iodine which slowly absorbs into your thyroid gland. Once absorbed, our medical experts measure the radiation in your thyroid to determine how well the gland is functioning.
- Biopsy: Surgeons remove cells from your thyroid or lymph nodes for examination under a microscope to determine if cancer is present.
- Ultrasound: High-energy sound waves are bounced off your internal tissues and organs, creating a detailed image (sonogram) of your neck and chest.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): A combination of a magnetic field and radio waves creates three-dimensional images of specific areas of your body to determine if disease or physical abnormalities are present.
- Computerized Tomography (CT): Certified experts use computer-processed X-rays to generate a scan of your body in “slices” to create highly accurate images.
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan: A small amount of radioactive material (which is known to absorb into cancer cells more than normal cells) is injected into your bloodstream, allowing a scanner to locate the cancerous cells.
Treatment Options
Our multidisciplinary team works collaboratively to outline a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. Experts from a range of specialties will discuss your condition and determine the best plan of action. Factors we consider when developing your treatment plan include the stage and location of the cancer and your personal medical history.
Treatments for thyroid cancer include the following.
Medical Therapy
Our board-certified oncologists prescribe your medical therapy, and our highly trained nursing staff administers that therapy intravenously, orally or through injection.
Among the medical treatments we provide are the following.
- Targeted Drug Therapy: This type of cancer treatment uses drugs to “target” cancer cells without affecting normal cells.
- Chemotherapy: This drug treatment uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cancer cells in your body.
- Immunotherapy: This treatment option boosts your immune system, empowering it to fight and destroy cancer cells.
Radiation Therapy
Our team of board-certified radiation oncologists may use external beam radiation in combination with other treatments to address your cancer. Employing sophisticated technology, our therapists concentrate high-energy beams of radiation on the precise parts of your body affected by disease. This safe and accurate procedure may be administered routinely over a period of days or weeks. Other radiation procedures include the following.
- Radioiodine Therapy: Similar to the radioiodine scan, this procedure involves swallowing a pill that contains a high dose of radioactive iodine. The radioiodine fully absorbs into your thyroid gland, shrinking the tumor and destroying cancer cells.
Surgical Approach
Our specialized thyroid surgery team uses the latest in minimally invasive techniques to remove part (lobectomy) or all (thyroidectomy) of your thyroid gland. If the cancer has metastasized, our surgeon may also remove nearby lymph nodes. Adhering to evidence-based guidelines, our robot-assisted surgical procedures provide safe treatment for all stages of cancer.
Learn more about cancer treatment options at Bayhealth.
Support Services
Before, during and after your cancer treatments, our experts remain dedicated to improving your quality of life. Our care team supports you in establishing healthy routines that help you stay in control of your daily symptoms. We also host support groups that provide patients and families opportunities to connect and share their experiences — because a strong network of support can help to make the realities of cancer more manageable.
- Cancer Support Community: A statewide non-profit organization, the Cancer Support Community, is dedicated to helping people manage the emotional aspects of their cancer journey. Learn more about the Cancer Support Community.
Explore our classes, events and support groups.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that test cutting-edge drugs, procedures and technologies with the purpose of establishing new or better ways of treating cancer. The skilled nurses in our Clinical Research Program can help you find clinical trial options for your specific cancer.
Speak with a Bayhealth expert about cancer treatment options.