Friday, July 10, 2020

Thyroid Cancer: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment


The role of the thyroid gland in the human body is mainly to produce hormones. These hormones help in regulating the growth, development and metabolism of the individual. For this reason, if the thyroid gland is unable to function properly, then the supply of hormones to different organs and muscles would be disrupted. Thyroid cancer is known to have several types, however, each one of them affects this butterfly-shaped immensely. Patients suffering from thyroid-related issues should get regularly tested from a reputed pathology lab. The facility of at-home blood test further helps in diagnosing this condition easily. 





Symptoms 
In most cases, this type of cancer does not exhibit any signs or symptoms in its early stages. As cancer progresses, the patient might experience changes in her/his voice accompanied by a lot of hoarseness. Besides this, a lump can be felt in the neck that indicates tumour in the thyroid gland. Some patients complain of difficulty in swallowing food, water or even saliva in this condition. Inflamed lymph nodes, pain in the neck and throat are other signs of thyroid cancer. 

Causes 
A definite cause of thyroid cancer is unclear until now. However, certain genetic mutations that cause abnormal accumulation of thyroid cells are known to be responsible for this cancer. Women are a higher risk of contracting thyroid cancer more than men. Besides this, patients suffering from other cancers who get radiation therapy can develop cancerous tumours in their thyroid glands as well. Moreover, there are inherited diseases that have caused thyroid cancer in patients. These include familial medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia and Cowden's syndrome. 

Treatment 
For proper diagnosis, a series of blood tests such as anti-Tg test, complete blood count, ultrasound, MRI, CT Scan, and genetic testing are conducted. After evaluating the severity of the condition, the medical practitioner comes up with a treatment plan. In most cases, complete removal of the thyroid gland is done through a thyroidectomy and half of the gland is removed by a thyroid lobectomy. In some cases, the surgeon might remove the lymph nodes in the neck area through a lymph node dissection. Certain medications are prescribed after the surgeries for regulating hormone production. External chemotherapy and radiation are other modes of treatment to kill the cancerous cells in the thyroid gland.

Reputed cancer hospitals and oncologists provide palliative care for patients suffering from chronic pain. Therefore, consulting them is highly recommended.

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