What is thyroid cancer?
Thyroid cancer starts in the cells of the thyroid. The thyroid is a small gland at the front of your neck below the voice box (larynx). It is shaped like a butterfly. It has two parts, called lobes, one on each side of the windpipe (trachea). The lobes are connected by a thin piece of tissue called the isthmus. Normally you cannot see or feel your thyroid through your skin.
The thyroid makes hormones that help your body work the way it is supposed to.
-
Thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) are hormones that help control body functions, such as your heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and weight. To make T3 and T4, the thyroid needs iodine. It gets iodine from the water you drink and the food you eat.
-
Calcitonin helps control the level of calcium and phosphate in your blood.
There are four main types of thyroid cancer. Each type looks different under a microscope, behaves differently and is treated differently.
-
Papillary carcinoma is the most common type of thyroid cancer. It grows slowly.
-
Follicular carcinoma grows slowly, but grows faster than papillary carcinoma.
-
Medullary thyroid cancer is a rare type of thyroid cancer that grows faster than papillary or follicular carcinomas.
-
Anaplastic thyroid cancer is also a rare type of thyroid cancer. It tends to grow and spread very quickly.
This information is about the most common types of thyroid cancer. For information about rarer types of thyroid cancer (such as thyroid lymphoma and thyroid sarcoma), please contact our Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.
|
More information on thyroid cancer
For information about rarer types of thyroid cancer, please e-mail us or call our Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333. |
Last modified on:
10 December 2009
Back to top