What is Thyroid Cancer?

The thyroid gland is located at the base of the throat. It is the organ that is responsible for making hormones that control such things as heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and body weight. A healthy thyroid is small, usually about the size of an American quarter, and it can't be felt through the skin.

There are four main kinds of thyroid cancer — papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic. Types of thyroid cancer are determined by the way that cancer cells look when they are magnified.

The single greatest risk factor to developing thyroid cancer is exposure to radiation. There was a time, from the 1920s to the 1950s, that doctors treated all kinds of ailments, from acne to tonsillitis, with radiation. It was found later that the people who were treated with radiation developed thyroid cancer at a much higher rate than other segments of the population.

The fact is that even today we are exposed to radiation (albeit very low doses) every time we have a dental x-ray, a check x-ray, or a mammogram. It is wise to always question your doctor or dentist about the necessity of an x-ray and to avoid them whenever possible.

Other risk factors for developing thyroid cancer are:

Family History: Other than exposure to radiation a family history of thyroid cancer or goiters or colon growths is considered the major risk factor for developing thyroid cancer.

Age: Most thyroid cancer is diagnosed in people over the age of 45.

Sex: Women are more prone to thyroid cancer than men.

There is a great deal of scientific inquired going on right now to try to determine how much of a factor iodine is in the development of thyroid cancer, but there are no definitive answers at this time.