Thyroid Cancer Symptoms
Thyroid cancers are caused by . It has four types, the first of which is the medullary thyroid cancer. About five to ten percent of malignant, life-threatening nodulespeople having thyroid cancer experience this type of condition. This begins at the C cells, those that produce calcitonin which controls the calcium level in the body. If calcitonin is not produced in normal amounts, bones are unable to reabsorb calcium from the blood.
Papillary and follicular thyroid cancers are the most common types of thyroid cancer, since eighty to ninety percent of all patients have either one of these. Unlike medullary thyroid cancer, both originate from the follicular cells. These types grow at slow rates, so if they are discovered at an early stage, then their treatment has a greater chance of being successful.
Finally, anaplastic thyroid cancer is the rarest form of thyroid cancer, affecting only one to two percent of the whole thyroid cancer patient population. Like papillary and follicular thyroid cancer, it arises from the follicular cells in the thyroid gland. But unlike the previously mentioned types of thyroid cancer, this is characterized by highly abnormal cancer cells that are difficult to recognize and control. This type of cancer spreads very quickly.
At an early state, thyroid cancer is asymptomatic, meaning it is often unnoticeable. But as the tumor continues to grow, one may feel a small lump or nodule at the neck. Though most of these nodules are benign, there is still a one percent probability that they are indicative of early stages of thyroid cancer. Other symptoms include: neck and throat pains, enlarged lymph nodes, swallowing problems, difficulty in breathing, and hoarseness.
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