According to the National Cancer Institute, just over 37,000 people were expected to be diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2009. Fortunately, only about 1,600 people die from thyroid cancer since it is usually curable with proper treatment. The overall five-year survival rate for thyroid cancer is about 97 percent, depending on the type of thyroid cancer.
Types of Thyroid Cancer
There are four main types of thyroid cancer: papillary, follicular, medullary and anaplastic. The most common type is papillary thyroid cancer, which the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists estimates is found in 75 percent to 80 percent of thyroid cancer patients. Follicular variant is a subtype of papillary thyroid cancer that indicates that thyroid cancer cells under the microscope have a somewhat different appearance than classic papillary thyroid cancer cells.
Risk Factors
According to the American Thyroid Association, it is not clear why some people develop thyroid cancer. There are some known risk factors such as a family history of thyroid cancer and exposure to radiation as a child. People who underwent X-ray treatments for acne, tonsilitis or enlarged thymus gland or lived near Chernobyl in 1986 should be evaluated for the possibility of thyroid cancer.
Thyroid Cancer Treatment
Follicular variant papillary thyroid cancer is treated just like papillary thyroid cancer and has the same good prognosis. Patients undergo surgery to remove the thyroid, then take thyroid hormone replacement medication for the rest of their lives. Depending on the patient's age and size of the tumor and whether it has spread to the lymph nodes, a dose of radioactive iodine might be needed to insure removal of all thyroid cells that might remain after surgery. Thyroid cancer returns in about 30 percent of people so follow-up with a health care provider is important.
