The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck. It produces important hormones your body needs. Sometimes cancer can develop in this gland. Over 75 percent of thyroid cancers will be in women. Blacks are almost twice as likely to have this cancer as whites. Most cases will occur in people between the ages of 25 and 65.

Most patients don't have any warning signs. Doctors find the majority of cases during a routine physical examination. They will notice a painless lump in the thyroid. If the cancer has already spread, symptoms may include neck pain, hoarseness, or difficulty swallowing. Often, however, the same symptoms occur for a thyroid tumor that is benign, or non-cancerous. A fine needle biopsy will usually tell whether the tumor is benign or cancerous.

If you had radiation of your head and neck as a child, you're at risk for thyroid cancer. The younger you were at the time of radiation treatment, the higher your risk. Another risk factor is a family history of thyroid cancer. Routine screening for thyroid cancer is not recommended at this time. If you're at high risk, you can ask for periodic examination of your thyroid gland.

The treatment most often used for thyroid cancer is surgery. The thyroid gland can be partially or fully removed, depending on the extent of the cancer. It's sometimes followed by radiation therapy to make sure all the cancer cells are killed. Therapy with a thyroid hormone follows surgery. Most thyroid cancers are slow growing, and readily cured.

For more information about thyroid cancer, call the American Cancer Society at (800) ACS-2345 or the National Cancer Institute at (800) 4-CANCER.

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