Thyroid cancer
Thyroid cancer is abnormal cell growth that occurs in the thyroid gland. Thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the front of the neck. This gland secretes hormones that regulate metabolism, growth, body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, body weight, etc.
There are three types of hormones released by the thyroid gland, namely:
Triiodotironine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). Both of these hormones help regulate the body's metabolism. Excess hormones T3 and T4 can make a person overactive and lose weight. Conversely, if these two hormones are lost, a person will feel weak and gain weight.
Calcitonin. This is a type of hormone that regulates calcium levels in the blood and helps build strong bones. This hormone does not really play a key role in maintaining health because the body also uses other methods to control calcium levels in the blood.
Thyroid cancer is a rare type of disease. This condition usually occurs in people aged 35 to 39 and 70 and older. The risk of thyroid cancer is three times higher in women than men. Although the exact cause of thyroid cancer is still unknown, it is possible that this is related to hormonal changes in the female reproductive system.
Thyroid cancer is divided into four types, namely:
In the early stages, thyroid cancer rarely causes symptoms and even tends to be absent at all. However, if it has entered an advanced phase, thyroid cancer is often characterized by the appearance of swelling or swelling in the front of the neck, especially under the Adam's apple, and usually does not cause pain.
Some other symptoms appear after the entry of advanced cancer, including:
All parts that appear on the thyroid gland are not caused by thyroid cancer. The majority of the swelling of the thyroid gland is caused by a disorder called goiter. This condition is caused by hyperthyroidism (too many T3 and T4 hormones) or hypothyroidism (lack of T3 and T4 hormones).
Risk Factors for Thyroid Cancer
The exact cause of thyroid cancer is still unknown, but several factors can increase the risk of this condition, including:
Diagnosis of thyroid cancer
To diagnose thyroid cancer, the doctor will do a physical examination at the beginning of the exam. The doctor will also ask you about your family's medical history and patient symptoms, including hoarseness that doesn't go away.
Some advanced tests that can be done to diagnose thyroid cancer are:
Treatment for thyroid cancer
The type of treatment for thyroid cancer is very dependent on the type and stage of the cancer. Some cancers, such as papillary carcinoma, follicular carcinoma and some thyroid medullary carcinoma, have a better chance of healing. This type of thyroid cancer is treated by surgical removal of the thyroid gland and may be related to radiation therapy.
Here are some treatment steps to treat thyroid cancer:
Treated thyroid cancer can reappear, even if the thyroid gland has been removed surgically. This can happen because cancer cells have spread outside the thyroid gland. Recurrence of brain cancer usually occurs within five years after surgery, but it can also appear decades after initial treatment.
This cancer recurrence can occur in the neck lymph nodes, in the thyroid gland tissue that is still left during surgery or in other parts of the body. To detect signs of recurrence, the doctor will recommend that patients do regular blood tests and thyroid examinations.
There are three types of hormones released by the thyroid gland, namely:
Triiodotironine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). Both of these hormones help regulate the body's metabolism. Excess hormones T3 and T4 can make a person overactive and lose weight. Conversely, if these two hormones are lost, a person will feel weak and gain weight.
Calcitonin. This is a type of hormone that regulates calcium levels in the blood and helps build strong bones. This hormone does not really play a key role in maintaining health because the body also uses other methods to control calcium levels in the blood.
Thyroid cancer is divided into four types, namely:
- Papillary carcinoma. This is the most common type of thyroid cancer, accounting for around 60% of all cases of thyroid cancer and generally affects women under 40 years.
- Follicular carcinoma. About 15% of thyroid cancer cases are of this type. Follicular cancer tends to occur in older people.
- Thyroid medullary carcinoma. This type occurs in about 5 to 8% of cases of thyroid cancer. What distinguishes it from other types is thyroid medullary carcinoma, which is usually influenced by heredity.
- Anaplastic thyroid cancer. This is the rarest thyroid cancer, but the most aggressive. This condition only occurs in 5% of thyroid cancer cases and usually occurs at the age of 60 years.
In the early stages, thyroid cancer rarely causes symptoms and even tends to be absent at all. However, if it has entered an advanced phase, thyroid cancer is often characterized by the appearance of swelling or swelling in the front of the neck, especially under the Adam's apple, and usually does not cause pain.
Some other symptoms appear after the entry of advanced cancer, including:
- Sore throat.
- Trouble swallowing.
- The voice becomes hoarse and does not improve after a few weeks.
- Neck pain
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
All parts that appear on the thyroid gland are not caused by thyroid cancer. The majority of the swelling of the thyroid gland is caused by a disorder called goiter. This condition is caused by hyperthyroidism (too many T3 and T4 hormones) or hypothyroidism (lack of T3 and T4 hormones).
Risk Factors for Thyroid Cancer
The exact cause of thyroid cancer is still unknown, but several factors can increase the risk of this condition, including:
- Having thyroid abnormalities. People who suffer from mild thyroid disease, such as inflammation of the thyroid gland or thyroid disease, have a greater risk of developing thyroid cancer than those who have never experienced it.
- Family health history. Hereditary genetic disease is the cause of several cases of thyroid carcinoma. The risk of thyroid cancer increases if someone has a family suffering from this cancer.
- Tall and heavy. The risk of thyroid cancer will increase if a person is overweight. This risk will also increase in adults who are greater than average.
- Radiation exposure. Nuclear radiation or radiation from some medical treatments can increase the risk of getting thyroid cancer, especially if it attacks the neck and head.
- Indigestion. If a person has indigestion in the family of adenomatous polyposis (FAP), he is at greater risk of developing thyroid cancer. PAF is a congenital disease caused by defective genes.
- Gender. The risk of thyroid cancer is 2 to 3 times higher in women than in men. This condition can be related to hormones released when a woman experiences menstruation or when she is pregnant.
- Akromegaly. This is a rare disease where the body produces too much growth hormone. This disease increases the risk of thyroid cancer in people with acromegaly.
Diagnosis of thyroid cancer
To diagnose thyroid cancer, the doctor will do a physical examination at the beginning of the exam. The doctor will also ask you about your family's medical history and patient symptoms, including hoarseness that doesn't go away.
Some advanced tests that can be done to diagnose thyroid cancer are:
- Thyroid function test. This is a type of blood test that checks if there is a disruption in the function of the thyroid gland by measuring the level of thyroid hormone in the blood.
- Cytology with fine needle aspiration. In this test, a very small needle is inserted into the neck ball to collect tissue samples which are then examined under a microscope. This test can detect the presence of abnormal cells and cancer cells.
- Scanning. This examination must be done to determine whether the cancer that has occurred has spread outside the thyroid gland. Scans can be performed with a scanner, ultrasound or PET (positron emission tomography).
- Descent test. The doctor may need to do a genetic examination of the patient to look for genetic disorders that can increase the risk of medullary thyroid cancer.
Treatment for thyroid cancer
The type of treatment for thyroid cancer is very dependent on the type and stage of the cancer. Some cancers, such as papillary carcinoma, follicular carcinoma and some thyroid medullary carcinoma, have a better chance of healing. This type of thyroid cancer is treated by surgical removal of the thyroid gland and may be related to radiation therapy.
Here are some treatment steps to treat thyroid cancer:
- Thyroidectomy. This procedure is performed to remove the thyroid gland, either partially (hemithyroidectomy) or completely (total thyroidectomy). This procedure depends on the type and size of thyroid cancer and the possible spread of it to other parts of the body. Patients are advised to rest for 2 to 3 weeks after surgery to avoid activities that make the neck tense.
- Hormone replacement therapy. Patients will not be able to produce hormones that regulate the body's metabolic system after a thyroidectomy procedure. As a result, patients will need hormone replacement tablets throughout their lives. Routine blood tests should be done to adjust the dose and monitor hormone levels that are appropriate for the body.
- Regulate calcium levels. Surgical removal of the thyroid gland often affects the parathyroid gland. Parathyroid is located near the thyroid and has the function of regulating the level of calcium in the blood. Therefore, calcium levels must also be taken into account.
- Radioactive iodine treatment. This treatment destroys existing cancer cells and prevents them from reappearing after surgery. Possible side effects from this procedure are nausea, dry mouth, dry eyes, and changes in direction and taste.
- External radiotherapy. In this procedure, radioactive waves are directed to the affected body part. This treatment is generally used to treat advanced cancer or thyroid anaplastic carcinoma. The duration of radiation therapy depends on the type of cancer and its development.
- Chemotherapy. This procedure is generally only used to treat anaplastic thyroid carcinoma that has spread to other parts of the body. Patients will receive very strong drugs to kill cancer cells. This treatment cannot completely cure anaplastic cancer, but can slow the progression of the cancer and help alleviate the symptoms of thyroid cancer.
Treated thyroid cancer can reappear, even if the thyroid gland has been removed surgically. This can happen because cancer cells have spread outside the thyroid gland. Recurrence of brain cancer usually occurs within five years after surgery, but it can also appear decades after initial treatment.
This cancer recurrence can occur in the neck lymph nodes, in the thyroid gland tissue that is still left during surgery or in other parts of the body. To detect signs of recurrence, the doctor will recommend that patients do regular blood tests and thyroid examinations.
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