Thyroid Cancer Information
Learn More About Thyroid Cancer Information: Chat with Us | Email Us
What is Thyroid Cancer?
Thyroid cancer is cancer that begins in tissues of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located at the base of the throat, below the larynx (voice box). It produces hormones which regulate body temperature, weight, blood pressure, and help control heart rate.
Approximately 37,000 Americans are diagnosed with thyroid cancer each year. Thyroid cancer mainly affects younger people between the ages of 20 and 55. Women are three times more likely to be diagnosed with thyroid cancer than men.
Types of Thyroid Cancer
There are several types of thyroid cancer. The overwhelming majority of thyroid cancers are papillary, which means they originate in follicular cells. This type of cancer tends to grow slowly as do the second and third most common types of thyroid cancer—follicular and medullary.
Follicular thyroid cancers, which originate in the follicular cells, account for about 15 percent of thyroid cancer cases. Medullary thyroid cancer comprises approximately three percent of all thyroid cancers and begins in C cells.
A small minority of cases are categorized as anaplastic thyroid cancers. Unlike other types of thyroid cancer, anaplastic thyroid cancers tend to grow and spread quickly.
Next Topic: Thyroid Cancer Risk Factors
