Thyroid cancer is most common in women at the age of 30
Thyroid cancer is a cancer that starts in the thyroid gland which is located inside the front of the lower neck. Females have more chances of having thyroid cancer at a ratio of three to one. Thyroid cancer is most common after the age of 30 and its aggressiveness increases significantly in older patients. There are four main types of thyroid cancer: Papillary, Follicular, Medullary and Anaplastic thyroid cancer. For further details on Thyroid Cancer, check our previous blog with the title ‘Thyroid Cancer – Types, Diagnosis, and Clinical Trials‘.
Symptoms of Thyroid Cancer
Symptoms which are most commonly seen in the patients suffering from Thyroid Cancer are
- Neck swelling
- Thyroid lump (nodule)
- Coughing
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Enlargement of the thyroid gland
- Hoarseness or change of voice
- Pain in Throat or neck
If anyone is suffering from these symptoms then he/she should immediately consult the doctor for further details.
Factors affecting Thyroid Cancer Prognosis
Thyroid cancer prognosis depends upon variety of factors which are:
- Stage of cancer – Thyroid cancer prognosis usually depends on the stage at which the cancer is diagnosed. A patient’s prognosis is best when the cancer is caught at an early stage.
- Methods of treatment – A person’s prognosis may depend on the treatment method chosen by the doctor.
- Medical history – Thyroid cancer Prognosis is affected if the patient is suffering from any other disease in addition to thyroid cancer.
- Age of Patient – A patients age also play a great role in knowing thyroid cancer prognosis.
Thyroid cancer prognosis/ Life Expectancy
Thyroid cancer prognosis varies according to the types of thyroid cancer:
- Anaplastic carcinoma – People suffering from Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer have the worst outcome of all the types of thyroid cancer. It is usually deadly despite aggressive treatment.
- Follicular carcinomas – Follicular Thyroid Cancer is often fast growing and may spread to other tissues, but the outlook is still good. Most patients are cured.
- Medullary Carcinoma – The outcome with medullary thyroid cancer varies. Women under age 40 have a better chance of a good outcome.
- Papillary Carcinomas – Papillary thyroid cancer are usually slower growing. Most people are cured and have a normal life expectancy.
Listed below are some clinical trials investigating new treatments for Thyroid cancer.
- Pazopanib in Treating Patients With Advanced Thyroid Cancer
- Trial of LBH589 in Metastatic Thyroid Cancer
- Recombinant Thyrotropin PET-CT Fusion Scanning in Thyroid Cancer
- Sutent Adjunctive Treatment of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer
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