Table of contents:
- Definition
- What is thyroid cancer?
- Differentiated thyroid cancers
- Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)
- Anaplastic thyroid cancer
- How common is this disease?
- Signs & symptoms
- What are the signs and symptoms of thyroid cancer?
- When to see a doctor?
- Cause
- What causes thyroid cancer?
- Risk factors
- What increases the risk of thyroid cancer?
- Diagnosis & treatment
- How is thyroid cancer diagnosed?
- Can thyroid cancer be cured?
- What are the treatment options for thyroid cancer?
- Operation
- Radioactive iodine ablation
- Thyroid hormone therapy
- Chemotherapy and radiotherapy
- Home remedies
- What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can be used to treat thyroid cancer?
- Prevention
- How do you prevent thyroid cancer?
Definition
What is thyroid cancer?
Thyroid cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the thyroid gland. This cancer occurs when there is an abnormal development of thyroid cells.
The thyroid gland is a small organ located at the front of your neck. The function of this gland is to regulate the body's metabolism, blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, and body weight.
The thyroid gland has two main types of cells, namely follicular cells which produce thyroid hormones for body metabolism and C cells (parafollicular cells) which produce the hormone calcitonin to control the use of calcium.
Thyroid gland cancer is divided into several types and has a favorite area for its spread (metastasis), including:
Differentiated thyroid cancers
This type of cancer most commonly attacks and starts in the glandular follicle cells. When viewed in the laboratory, these abnormal cells are very similar to normal and healthy thyroid tissue.
This cancer is then divided into several types, namely:
- Papillary thyroid cancer (papillary adenocarcinoma): Papillary thyroid cancer is cancer that is usually only one lobe of the thyroid gland with very slow growth. Even so, this cancer can still attack the nearby lymph nodes.
- Follicular cancer (follicular adenocarcinoma): This type of cancer mostly attacks people who are deficient in iodine. Although it does not spread to the lymph nodes, this type of cancer cell can spread to the lungs and bones.
- Hürthle cell cancer: This type of cancer is also called oxyphil cell carcinoma and is quite rare.
Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)
This type of cancer attacks calcitonin-producing C cells. This cancer can spread to the liver, lungs, and lymph nodes even before a lump on the gland has appeared. Medullary thyroid carcinoma is then subdivided into two types for which treatment is difficult, namely:
- Sporadic MTC: This type of cancer is more common in the elderly and is not inherited. The abnormal cells usually only exist in one lobe of the thyroid.
- Familial MTC: This type of cancer is passed from parents to children, with a large risk of 20-25% so that it can develop at the age of children or younger. Abnormal cells can attack two lobes of the thyroid at once.
Anaplastic thyroid cancer
This type of cancer is thought to originate from pre-existing papillary or follicular cancer. When seen in the laboratory, the cells look abnormal and can spread rapidly to the neck and other parts of the body.
How common is this disease?
Thyroid gland cancer is a type of cancer that is quite common in Indonesian society. Quoted from Globocan in 2018, there were 11,470 new cases with a death toll of 2,119 people.
Cancer that forms in the glands near the neck affects all ages, both children and the elderly.
Signs & symptoms
What are the signs and symptoms of thyroid cancer?
The characteristics or symptoms of thyroid gland cancer are generally not seen in the early stages (stage 1). However, sometimes the appearance of this cancer is characterized by a nodule or lump on the neck.
Almost everyone has lumps on their thyroid gland. However, these lumps are benign and harmless. Only about 1% has the potential to develop into cancer.
The lump can only be felt by touching or pressing. The lump is painless, hard texture, and does not move easily when pressed. As cancer cells develop, the lump will get bigger.
Apart from appearing lumps, there are other symptoms that often appear:
- Swelling in the neck.
- Hoarseness that doesn't get better.
- Sore throat. Pain in the neck
- Difficulty swallowing
- Difficulty breathing.
- Cough.
There may be signs and symptoms of thyroid cancer not listed above. If you have concerns about the appearance of certain symptoms, consult your doctor immediately.
When to see a doctor?
Although a lump in the thyroid gland is a condition that tends to be harmless, it is best to stay alert. What's more, if the appearance of a lump on the thyroid is accompanied by other symptoms of cancer mentioned above, seek medical attention immediately.
Cause
What causes thyroid cancer?
The cause of lymph node cancer is not known with certainty. However, most likely the trigger is this disease arises because of changes in the DNA in cells found in the thyroid gland.
The mutated thyroid gland cells will develop rapidly and uncontrollably. This causes these cells not to die easily. In fact, normal cells should be replaced by new cells. This condition can cause a malignant tumor, which is a sign of cancer in the thyroid gland.
These abnormal cells will invade the surrounding tissue, resulting in tumor growth. Its spread has the potential to spread to other body organs.
Risk factors
What increases the risk of thyroid cancer?
Although the cause of this cancer is not known with certainty, researchers have found several factors that can increase the risk, such as:
- Age and gender.
This cancer attacks women more than men. Although it can affect all ages, this cancer is more common in women aged 40-50 years and men aged 60-70s.
- Heritable gene mutations
This cancer is closely related to inherited conditions in the family that inherit mutated genes, such as the RET gene, APC gene, PTEN gene, and PRKAR1A gene.
- Radiation exposure
Radiation from radiotherapy around the neck and radiation from imaging tests, such as CT scans and X-rays can damage cell DNA, which can increase the risk of this cancer.
- Obesity
People who are overweight are known to have a higher risk of cancer than people who have an ideal body weight. The risk increases with weight gain.
- Iodine deficiency
Follicular cancer and papillary cancer are more common in people with low iodine intake.
Diagnosis & treatment
The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.
How is thyroid cancer diagnosed?
In diagnosing, the doctor will perform a thorough physical examination. Such as checking for lumps in the neck, asking about the symptoms of thyroid cancer you feel, and checking your medical history and family.
If the doctor suspects the development of cancer cells, several additional tests will be done, such as:
- Blood test: This test aims to measure the levels of the hormone calcitonin and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and calcium in the blood.
- Genetic test: Tests are done to determine the presence of genetic factors, such as inherited gene mutations in the family that strengthen the suspicion of cancer.
- Biopsy test: This action is done by directly checking the abnormal tissue in the thyroid gland for cancer or not, by taking a small amount of tissue as a sample.
- Imaging test: Image capture tests, such as ultrasound, CT scan, and MRI scan aim to get a clear picture of your neck and areas of your thyroid gland.
- Laryngoscopy: The procedure for checking the voice box (larynx) is still functioning normally or not with a laryngoscope.
Can thyroid cancer be cured?
Most cases of this type of cancer can be cured with various treatments. However, the recovery factor really depends on the patient's age, the stage of the cancer, and the patient's overall health.
Patients with thyroid cancer stage 1 and 2, have a greater life expectancy. The reason is because cancer cells have not spread widely to other healthy tissues or organs.
However, in stage 3 and 4 patients who are already severe and may have other health problems, the disease cannot be cured. Even so. medication can still help them relieve symptoms and improve their quality of life.
What are the treatment options for thyroid cancer?
Curing lymph node cancer can be done in several ways, namely:
Operation
Surgery is a treatment for thyroid cancer, except for the anaplastic type. This medical procedure consists of several types, namely lobectomy (removal of the lobe with isthmus that is affected by cancer), thyroidectomy (removal of the thyroid gland), and removal of lymph nodes.
The side effects of thyroid cancer surgery are damage to the parathyroid glands, hoarseness, bleeding, and infection.
Radioactive iodine ablation
This treatment is intended for patients who have undergone a thyroidectomy procedure. Its purpose is to destroy any remaining abnormal thyroid gland tissue in your body.
This procedure is also usually done to treat cancer cells that have spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
Thyroid hormone therapy
If your thyroid gland has been completely removed, you will need to take thyroid hormone pills. These pills help prevent the development of remaining cancer cells in your body.
This drug works by reducing production thyroid-stimulating hormone or TSH. TSH is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland in your brain.
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy
Radiotherapy will be performed after surgery, if there is a high risk of cancer recurring.
Meanwhile chemotherapy, which is cancer therapy with drugs, is usually not the main choice for treating thyroid gland cancer. Usually, this is recommended with radiotherapy to treat anaplastic thyroid cancer.
Home remedies
What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can be used to treat thyroid cancer?
A healthy lifestyle for cancer patients, such as exercise, maintaining ideal body weight, and maintaining adequate nutrition, such as iodine every day must be applied.
The study found the potential of tannins, flavonoids, and saponins as herbal remedies for thyroid gland cancer. Even so, the use of these drugs you should consult your doctor first. The reason is, the drug might trigger an allergic reaction or cause side effects.
Prevention
How do you prevent thyroid cancer?
Preventing cancer can be done by reducing the various risks. However, not all risks can be avoided, for example those related to age, sex, and genetic diseases that are passed on by the family.
Thyroid cancer preventive measures that can be taken, are generally related to certain activities and a lifestyle that is applied. More specifically, you must maintain a healthy diet and adequate iodine intake and regular exercise so that your weight can be controlled.
Then, radiation exposure must also be reduced. This is the reason doctors will not recommend X-rays or CT scans, if they are not really needed.
For those of you who inherit gene mutations from your parents, regular health checks need to be done. In some cases, if the risk of cancer is high enough, the thyroid gland will be removed. This is done to prevent the disease in the future.
