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Definition and Description of Thyroid Cancer

Wednesday, July 4, 2012 · Posted in

Definition

Thyroid cancer is cancer of the gland in front of the neck that normally produces thyroid hormone which is important to the normal regulation of the metabolism of the body. There are 4 major types of thyroid cancer -- papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic. The most common symptom of thyroid cancer is a lump, or nodule, that can be felt in the neck. The only certain way to tell whether a thyroid lump is cancer is by examining the thyroid tissue, obtained using a needle or surgery to obtain a biopsy.

Carcinoma of the thyroid gland is an uncommon cancer but is the most common malignancy of the endocrine system. Differentiated tumors (papillary or follicular) are highly treatable and usually curable. Poorly-differentiated tumors (medullary or anaplastic) are much less common, are aggressive, metastasize early, and have a much poorer prognosis.

Description

Thyroid gland is a very important gland in the body which is located in the lower part of the neck, right above the sternum. This gland produces hormones that are vital to our well being. There are two kinds of cells in thyroid gland. Follicular cells, which produce thyroid hormones, that are essential for growth and development of all body tissues, and Parafolicullar cells which produce Calcitonin; a hormone that controls calcium levels in blood.

Thyroid cancer is grouped into four types based on how its cells appear under a microscope. The types are papillary, follicular, medullary and anaplastic thyroid cancers. They grow at different rates and can spread to other parts of the body if left untreated.

The thyroid is a hormone-producing butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck at the base of the throat. It has two lobes, the left and the right. The thyroid uses iodine, a mineral found in some foods, to make several of its hormones. Thyroid hormones regulate essential body processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, metabolism; and affect the nervous system, muscles and other organs. These hormones also play an important role in regulating childhood growth and development.

Diseases of the thyroid gland affect millions of Americans. The most common diseases of the thyroid are either hyperthyroidism (Graves' disease) or hypothyroidism, an overactive or an underactive gland, respectively. Sometimes lumps or masses may develop in the thyroid, and although most (ninety-five percent) of these lumps or nodules are noncancerous (benign), all thyroid lumps should be taken seriously. The American Cancer Society estimates that the approximately 17,200 new cases of thyroid cancer that occur in the United States account for 1% of all cancers.

Women are three times more likely to develop thyroid cancer than men. Although the disease affects teenagers and young adults, most people that develop thyroid cancer are over 50 years of age.
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The Story of Thyroid Cancer - Alternate Perspective

Friday, July 25, 2008 · Posted in

I was about 18 years old when I first felt the nodule on my throat and didn't think much about it and didn't make mention to anyone about it. It was about the size of a pea then and when it was removed, when I was 29, it was a little smaller than a ping pong ball. It was thyroid cancer. My thyroid was removed, started the synthroid, had a little radioactive iodine, etc, etc, etc. If you have experienced thyroid cancer, you know the drill. And that is what it was for me; a drill, a procedure, a way to "get better", but I knew, I knew the reason why it came into my experience. I created it. I created the cancer in my body, simply by my thought and belief that I could not express myself.

For those of you who have experienced thyroid cancer, know exactly what I am talking about. When I was a kids growing up, I had no idea how to express myself. I always silenced my thoughts and feelings from the outside world. I would just blatantly lie to someone and tell them something I thought they wanted to hear when they would ask, How are you?, What are you up to?, questions about ME. My brain would say, "No way I am not letting you in..."

Well, I am here to tell you that the cause of my cancer was directly related to my lack of self expression. I would allow myself to build up all this emotion, energy, fear, rage, anger, resentment and I would put it into a big pot that I would close and lock up. Over time, I would put this closed pot over heat and allow it to simmer, until one day, and many times over the course of a year, the pot just exploded.

My family, my friends, my colleagues, my ex-wife, my daughter all knew what that looked like and each time it would happen I would make myself wrong for it which would intern perpetuate the cycle of lack of self expression.

I knew it was time for me to start becoming self expressed in who I am. This is part of the journey that landed me into coaching and public speaking. The purpose of who I am is to have a global impact to society in this conversation of self growth and personal power. To support that purpose, who I am is honesty, truth, integrity and commitment.

Even just the word cancer is an interesting illusion because when we hear the word cancer, we immediately equate to death and someone we know, who had cancer. Its no wonder why so many people are generating cancer in their bodies, fear perpetuates fear and the more fear about getting something, the more we get it into our experience.

Remember, I was exactly where you are and understand the experience that is showing up in your life. It does not matter if it was thyroid cancer, brain cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, we created it all and we can create something other than what is there right now.

Now, I coach others, just like you and me, on moving from the experiences of cancer and dis-ease in our immediate now into the experience of who they truly are in their expression of the true self. I believe that all dis-ease and illness, ailments, etc. are a direct causation from our thoughts about ourselves over time that have manifested in our bodies. I am here to tell you that each one of us has attracted the experience in. I am also here to teach you how to attract the experiences you want in your life through the laws of attraction. The very same laws that attracted the dis-ease we didn't want into our lives. You can use the laws of attraction to your advantage and sustain the experiences you want in your life.

The Story of Thyroid Cancer - Alternate Perspective
By Patrick West
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Coping with Thyroid Cancer

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The understanding of thyroid cancer and its serious effects have documented different success stories and experiences in coping with the disease. Although thyroid cancer can be a worrisome condition, it should not be a hindrance for us to live our lives to our fullest. Even with the knowledge of the disease that might cause some shock on our side, all is well and good as long as we face the problem with the utmost courage, preparation, and education.

Dealing with thyroid cancer is a big battle as a patient. When you have thyroid cancer, you are hard-pressed to change your lifestyle and set of activities to adapt to your new condition. Suddenly, you are tasked with caring for yourself much more than what you have done to look after yourself before. You will start engaging consultations with medical specialists to deal with the disease. To top it all out, you will be undergoing a battery of tests to monitor the status of your thyroid cancer. Simply put, knowing that you have thyroid cancer might push you to a very stressful predicament.

The encouraging news is you are not alone. Knowing that there are other people who coped with thyroid cancer and succeeded will give you the perspective that can make you victorious despite the hardest times. As long as we devise a plan and faithfully stick with it, coping with thyroid cancer is an adjustment that you and everyone else can accomplish.

Preparing Yourself: Test and Surgery

Thyroid cancer starts with the diagnosis. After which, it is time to start preparing ourselves with the different thyroid tests that our doctor will recommend to us. These tests are important in knowing your real score against the disease. It is best to educate ourselves with the different thyroid tests, its methods, and the expected results produced by these tests.

Diagnostic ultrasound is a thyroid test that is non-invasive and painless. This thyroid test scans out images to show the texture and size of the lump found on your thyroid gland. You do not have to do much to prepare for diagnostic ultrasound as this is like an X-Ray procedure. Meanwhile, fine needle biopsy is a standard procedure to determine if the tumor found in your thyroid gland is malignant or benign. You will be given anesthetic before a needle is inserted to collect the tumor. To analyze the state of your thyroid gland, your doctor may order a radioactive iodine uptake. The iodine will tell you how your thyroid gland functions as the doctor looks for abnormalities in your thyroid gland.

These thyroid test scans will help your doctor determine the stage of your disease. They provide fast results, non-invasive, painless, and can be performed without as an outpatient procedure. In testing for thyroid cancer, you need to take radioactive capsules to help the scanners look at your thyroid gland properly.

Once thyroid cancer is confirmed and detected, it is necessary to opt for surgery to treat your thyroid cancer. Surgery is a primary treatment option. However, although it is necessary, surgery will leave you with long-term side effects. Thus, constant consultation with your doctor is important to guide you through the procedure. While surgery can be scary, thyroidectomy or the removal of the thyroid gland is a relatively safe procedure and you should get over it scot-free.

Watching over Changing Diet

Thyroid cancer results to hyperthyroidism, which is a condition that requires you to control your iodine intake. Thyroid cancer patients need to change their eating pattern to exclude foods that contain sizable amounts of iodine. These include fast food, pizza, seafood, dairy, bread, eggs and different kinds of sauces. Even tap water contains iodine and should be avoided.

This diet shift can be hard for cancer patients. Imagine toning down your diet to a select set of healthy food while not eating the things that you love all your living years. However, this change in diet should not be hard on you if you apply the transition slowly. Involve your family and friends in your dining experience so that changing meals would be smoother for you. You do not need to have separate meals.

With your changing diet, it is recommended to eat more fibers and vegetables. Increase the intake of rice, bran, barley, wheat, cereals, and fruits. These healthy foods can be creatively spruced up to be a treat for you. Learning to love these foods can go a long way in coping with thyroid cancer.

Proper Support

Thyroid cancer patients should not deal with this alone. Trusting your doctor and friends closest to you is essential to carry this burden successfully. Connecting with the right people such as a social worker or dietician will help you get over the hump inside and outside the hospital and your home. There are also different cancer support groups to share your feelings and anxieties. Coping with thyroid cancer is also a process of surrounding yourself with the right people.

Coping with thyroid cancer is not just about diagnosis and treatment. Managing your situation involves understanding different facets of the disease and the consequences of it. Living with cancer should not hinder you to live a happy and fruitful life. Be an inspiration to your friends and family as you live successfully through these trials with a smile.

This Article is written by Lena Butler, the author of Thyroid Tests & Thyroid Cancer Question, a longer version of this article is located at Coping with Thyroid Cancer, and resources from other home health and wellness testing articles are used such as TestCountry Thyroid Home Tests.

Coping with Thyroid Cancer
By Lena Butler
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Answers About Thyroid Cancer

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Thyroid cancer is a problem that is not caused by smoking or drinking. All specialists may tell us that these two hobbies are not related to thyroid cancer but they may also admit that is better to avoid them. Even though smoking or drinking do not cause or aggravate the course of thyroid gland malignancy it is better to give up these habits for a good health situation.

Thyroid cancer is a curable problem. It is unusual for thyroid cancer to spread through the body, even though in some cases it may extend to the lymph glands in the neck. Thyroid cancer is in most of the cases cured after an operation. For the most complicated cases of cancer a treatment with radioactive iodine and x-ray therapy is needed. Sometimes surgical interventions might help. For other types of cancer, that are more complicated and aggressive chemotherapy and x-ray therapy is recommended by specialists.

Many cases of thyroid cancer are cured. This type of cancer has one of the best long term results. After a proper treatment or after a surgical intervention most of the patients are cured.

A big lump in the neck is the first sign for thyroid cancer. After noticing the bulge the patients must see a doctor. It is recommended to see a specialist especially a physician. About half of the cases of thyroid cancer are discovered by a physician after a routine check. This type of cancer does not cause pain or any other unpleasant symptoms. More than that most of the patients with thyroid cancer have normal metabolism and thyroid tests.

Many patients ask if the surgery leads to unwanted side effects. The answer for them is no. in many cases treating thyroid cancer means the removal of at least a part of the thyroid gland. This is possible through a small neck incision that in most of the cases does not affect the voice of the patient and more than that no scars will be seen. In more complicated cases when the cancer extends to the lymph glands a larger incision may be needed but because is usually done low in the neck no cosmetic problems will develop.

For the cure of thyroid cancer it would be recommended to discover the problem at an early stage. For that patients should regularly see a family doctor that when something is wrong will recommend a specialist.

Another advice for thyroid cancer patients is to stop their thyroid tablets for about 6 weeks if radioactive iodine is given.

Answers About Thyroid Cancer
By Groshan Fabiola
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thyroid cancer

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Thyroid cancer develops as a result of the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the thyroid gland, resulting in a tumor. Some of these tumors are benign or non cancerous while some are malignant or cancerous. The malignant tumors spread to the nearby tissues and other parts of the body causing severe complications. Since the thyroid gland is close to the skin, tumors often appear as lumps called thyroid nodules in the neck. Thyroid cancer is more widespread among women than men; however, the reason for this is not clear. About 20,000 cases of thyroid cancer are reported each year in the United States.

The precise causes of thyroid cancer remain vague. Some studies reveal that people who are exposed to large amounts of radiation or those who have undergone radiation treatments for medical purposes, especially on the head and neck, face an increased risk of developing thyroid cancer. The occurrence of thyroid cancer is high in countries where people follow a low iodine diet. People with certain medical conditions or a family history of thyroid disease have a higher risk of developing thyroid cancer. Incidents of thyroid cancer arise mainly in the age group of 25 to 65 years.

Thyroid cancer may be papillary, follicular, medullary, or anaplastic. A fine needle aspiration (FNA) test is an ideal test for thyroid cancer. Papillary is the most usual type, while Follicular is a less common one usually found in older people. Medullary and anaplastic are rare types, the former often hereditary and the latter fast-growing one seen more among older people. The anaplastic type is difficult to treat. Thyroid cancers tend to develop at a slow pace, and it may take some time before any symptoms appear. Most types of thyroid cancer can be treated successfully with early detection and appropriate surgical procedures.

Thyroid provides detailed information on Thyroid, Thyroid Cancer, Thyroid Disease, Thyroid Problems and more. Thyroid is affiliated with Cause Of Hypothyroidism.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kent_Pinkerton
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