Journal of Clinical Endocrionology Research

Thyroid Carcinoma:

Cancer of the thyroid, the butterfly-shaped gland at the bottom of the neck. The explanation for thyroid cancer is poorly understood, but may involve a mixture of genetic and environmental factors. Some people have no symptoms. Others may notice a lump in the neck. Treatments, which are usually successful, include surgery, hormone therapy, radioactive iodine, radiation and in some cases chemotherapy. Thyroid cancer occurs within the cells of the thyroid — a butterfly-shaped gland located at the bottom of your neck, slightly below your Adam's apple. Your thyroid produces hormones that regulate your pulse , vital sign , blood heat and weight. Thyroid cancer won't cause any symptoms initially . But as it grows, it can cause pain and swelling in your neck. Thyroid cancer rates seem to be increasing. Some doctors think this is because new technology is allowing them to find small thyroid cancers that may not have been found in the past. Thyroid cancer occurs when cells in your thyroid undergo genetic changes (mutations). The mutations allow the cells to grow and multiply rapidly. The cells also lose the power to die, as normal cells would. The accumulating abnormal thyroid cells form a tumor. The abnormal cells can invade nearby tissue and may spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.