Thyroid Cancer: Causes and symptoms
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The exact cause of thyroid cancer is not known; but it is more common in whites than in African Americans. Radiation was used in the 1950s and 1960s to treat acne and to reduce swelling in infections of the tonsils, adenoids and lymph nodes. It has been proven that this exposure is a risk factor for thyroid cancer. In some areas of the world, diets are low in iodine. Papillary and follicular cancers occur more frequently in these areas. Iodine deficiency is not a large problem in the United States because iodine is added to table salt and other foods. Approximately 7% of thyroid cancers are caused by the alteration (mutation) of a gene called the RET gene, which can be inherited.
Symptoms are rare so the lump is not usually painful. The symptoms of thyroid nodules are:
- a lump or nodule that can be felt in the neck is the most frequent sign of thyroid cancer
- the lymph nodes may be swollen and the voice may become hoarse because the tumor presses on the nerves leading to the voice box
- some patients experience a tight or full feeling in the neck and have difficulty breathing or swallowing
— Kulbir Rangi, DO
