Overview:
- It is abnormal cells that multiply in an uncontrollable way in thyroid tissue
Etiology:
- Cancer cells are normal cells in origin, but have undergone changes or mutations in their DNA
- The changes caused an imbalance in how they grow and divide and a disorder in their functions
Symptoms:
small tumor does not give clear symptoms
symptoms begin to appear as the tumor increases in size and it is included:
- neck pain
- neck mass
- neck swelling
- Cervical lymphadenopathy
- Difficulty swallowing
- Changes in voice
- general systemic symptoms of cancer (weakness, fatigue, pallor, weight loss, fever and night sweating)
Causes:
causes of thyroid cancer are unknown, but there are several risk factors:
- Gender: where it is most common in females
- radiation
- Genetic disorders
Types:
- Papillary carcinoma: arises from follicular cells that produce hormones, it is more common in the third and fourth decades
- Medullary carcinoma: arises from cells that produce Calcitonin hormone
- Follicular carcinoma: arises from follicular cells also, it happens among people over fifty
- Hertel cell carcinoma: a rare and dangerous type
- Anaplastic carcinoma: arises from follicular cells also, it happens among people over sixty
Diagnosis:
- Clinical examination with detailed history (radiation exposure, family history)
- Laboratory tests to assess thyroid function
- Neck ultrasound
- Radioactive Iodine scan
- FNA: Ultrasound guided biopsy to confirm the diagnosis
Treatment:
Surgical treatment:
- Total or subtotal thyroidectomy
- total thyroidectomy with neck lymph nodes dissection.
