Cancerous growth occurs when cells grow abnormally, leading to cancer. This can be due to a mutation in the DNA of a cell, physical change in cells due to exposure to the UV rays of the sun, or exposure to a cancer-causing agent such as cigarette smoke.
The thyroid gland is a small gland at the front of the neck that releases hormones that affect almost every system in the body, including the digestive system, cardiovascular system, reproductive system, and musculoskeletal system. Cancerous growths on the thyroid gland typically grow slow, but some can be very fast and aggressive. Most cancerous growths on the thyroid can be cured with treatment.
Most people don’t notice any symptoms early on in the formation of a cancerous growth on the thyroid. As it gets larger, people may notice:
Cancerous growths on the thyroid are due to changes in the DNA of the cells of the thyroid gland. A cell’s DNA is like the instruction manual for the cell. A cancerous growth on the thyroid changes the DNA to instruct the cell to multiply very quickly, creating many new, abnormal cells.
This is how people with thyroid cancers end up with cancerous growth. With a mix of genetic risk – you may develop cancerous growths on the thyroid gland if someone in your family did. it’s still not well understood what exactly causes cancerous growths on the thyroid gland.
However, there are some risk factors, including:
A doctor will take a medical history, do a thorough physical exam, and run a few tests to determine if you have cancerous growths on the thyroid gland.
Your medical care provider will probably order blood work to look for any abnormalities in the levels of thyroid hormones. They may also order an ultrasound to visualise any cancerous growth on the thyroid gland. If the ultrasound leads your provider to believe that there are cancerous growths on your thyroid, they will take a tissue sample of your thyroid to be analysed for the presence of cancer cells. Depending on the type of cancerous growth you have, they may also do some genetic testing.
Complications of cancerous growth on the thyroid gland include:
There is a wide spectrum of treatment options for cancerous growths on the thyroid gland based on how big the growths are and how severe they are. Some people may not require immediate treatment if the growths are very small. Most people undergo surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid, and sometimes the lymph nodes – a part of the lymphatic system – in the neck as cancerous growths can easily spread to the lymph nodes from the thyroid.
Surgery is followed up by hormone replacement therapy, since all or a part of the thyroid is now gone. Additional therapies a doctor may recommend to ensure that all of the cancer is gone include radioactive iodine. This form of iodine can kill any cancer cells left. Using alcohol to kill remaining cancer cells is also an option.
For very advanced cancerous growths, drug therapy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy may be suggested in addition to therapy.