What is the difference between hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer

The thyroid gland itself can become swollen, which is known as a goiter. Or, a benign noncancerous lump can develop on the thyroid gland. A biopsy tissue test can be performed to determine if a thyroid nodule is cancerous. Thyroid cancer usually has a good prognosis, in part because many cases are detected before they have the chance to spread.

Early detection can also lead to prompt treatment and a higher quality of life. At Moffitt Cancer Center, we offer an accelerated option for patients with thyroid nodules, providing them with a thorough assessment in a single visit. The oncologists in our Thyroid Nodule Clinic have extensive experience in diagnosing the various types of thyroid cancer, following American Thyroid Association guidelines to ensure an accurate and comprehensive diagnosis.

This is because there's a small risk that any child conceived during this time could develop birth defects. This applies to both men and women. Radioactive iodine treatment doesn't affect fertility in women. However, there's a small risk that it could affect fertility in men who need to have multiple treatment sessions. Your care team will be able to advise you about the level of risk in your individual circumstances.

If there's a significant risk you'll become infertile after having radioactive iodine treatment, you may wish to consider having your sperm or eggs harvested and frozen so they can be used for fertility treatment at a later date. External radiotherapy , where radioactive waves are targeted at affected parts of the body, is usually only used to treat advanced or anaplastic thyroid carcinomas. The length of time you'll need to have radiotherapy for will depend on the particular type of thyroid cancer you have and its progression.

Chemotherapy is usually only used to treat anaplastic thyroid carcinomas that have spread to other parts of your body.

It involves taking powerful medicines that kill cancerous cells. It's rarely successful in curing anaplastic cancer, but can slow its progression and help relieve symptoms.

If you're receiving chemotherapy, you'll also be more vulnerable to infection. See your GP if you suddenly feel ill or your temperature rises above 38C In targeted therapies, medication specifically targets the biological functions that cancers need to grow and spread.

As research is ongoing, some medications used in this type of treatment are unlicensed. In exceptional circumstances, your specialist may suggest using an unlicensed medication.

They'll do this if:. If your specialist is considering prescribing an unlicensed medication, they'll tell you that it's unlicensed and will discuss the possible risks and benefits with you. The decision about whether to fund treatment with medications used in targeted therapies is often made by individual clinical commissioning groups CCGs.

The Cancer Research UK website has more information about biological therapy for thyroid cancer. Cancerous cells can return many years after surgery and radioactive iodine treatment has been completed. Because of the risk of cancer cells returning, you'll be asked to attend regular check-ups so any cancerous cells that do return can be treated quickly. Thyroglobulin testing is a special type of blood test that's used to monitor some types of thyroid cancer and to check for the return of cancerous cells.

Thyroglobulin is a protein released by a healthy thyroid gland, but it can also be released by cancerous cells. If you've had your thyroid gland removed, there should be no thyroglobulin present in your blood, unless cancerous cells have returned.

Regularly testing your blood for thyroglobulin can be an effective way of checking whether or not any cancerous cells have returned. For the first few years after having surgery you'll probably need to have thyroglobulin testing every six months. After this period, you'll need to be tested once a year. An ultrasound scanner uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of part of the inside of the body. An ultrasound scan can detect changes inside your neck that could indicate the recurrence of cancer.

After surgery to remove part or all of your thyroid gland, you may be asked to attend a radioactive iodine scanning test.

You swallow a small amount of radioactive iodine before undergoing a scan. The radioactive iodine will highlight any cancerous thyroid cells in the body. Before the scan, you'll need to go on a low-iodine diet and stop taking your thyroid hormone medication. As only a small dose of radioactive iodine is used, it's not necessary to keep your distance from others. However, if you think you may be pregnant or you're breastfeeding, let the doctors know before your test. Home Illnesses and conditions Cancer Cancer types in adults Thyroid cancer.

Thyroid cancer See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About thyroid cancer 2. Symptoms of thyroid cancer 3. Causes of thyroid cancer 4. Diagnosing thyroid cancer 5. Treating thyroid cancer 6. Complications of thyroid cancer. About thyroid cancer Thyroid cancer is a rare type of cancer that affects the thyroid gland, a small gland at the base of the neck.

Other symptoms only tend to occur after the condition has reached an advanced stage, and may include: unexplained hoarseness that lasts for more than a few weeks a sore throat or difficulty swallowing that doesn't get better a lump elsewhere in your neck It's important to remember that if you have a lump in your thyroid gland, it doesn't necessarily mean you have thyroid cancer.

Read more about the symptoms of thyroid cancer The thyroid gland The thyroid gland consists of 2 lobes located on either side of the windpipe. The thyroid gland releases 3 separate hormones: triiodothyronine — known as T3 thyroxine — known as T4 calcitonin The T3 and T4 hormones help regulate the body's metabolic rate the rate at which the various processes in the body work, such as how quickly calories are burnt.

Types of thyroid cancer There are 4 main types of thyroid cancer. How common is thyroid cancer? It's most common in people aged 35 to 39 years and in those aged 70 years or over. What causes thyroid cancer? Risk factors for thyroid cancer include: having a benign non-cancerous thyroid condition having a family history of thyroid cancer in the case of medullary thyroid cancer having a bowel condition known as familial adenomatous polyposis acromegaly — a rare condition where the body produces too much growth hormone having a previous benign non-cancerous breast condition weight and height radiation exposure Read more about the causes of thyroid cancer Diagnosing thyroid cancer A type of blood test known as a thyroid function test will measure the hormone levels in your blood and rule out or confirm other thyroid problems.

Treating thyroid cancer Your recommended treatment plan will depend on the type and grade of your cancer, and whether a complete cure is realistically achievable. Read more about the complications of thyroid cancer Preventing thyroid cancer From the available evidence, eating a healthy, balanced diet is the best way to avoid getting thyroid cancer and all other types of cancer.

Outlook The outlook for differentiated thyroid cancers is very good. Symptoms of thyroid cancer In its early stages, thyroid cancer tends to cause no or very few symptoms.

Women also have Adam's apples, but they're much smaller and less prominent than a man's. Other symptoms of thyroid cancer only tend to occur after the condition has reached an advanced stage, and may include: unexplained hoarseness that doesn't get better after a few weeks a sore throat or difficulty swallowing that doesn't get better pain in your neck When to seek medical advice You should always see your GP if you develop a swelling or lump at the front of your neck.

Goitres A goitre is an enlarged thyroid gland. Non-cancerous goitres are usually caused by other less serious problems with your thyroid gland, such as: too much triiodothyronine T3 and thyroxine T4 hormones — this is known as having an overactive thyroid gland , or hyperthyroidism not enough T3 and T4 hormones — this is known as having an underactive thyroid gland , or hypothyroidism Thyroid cancer support The Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust provides information, advice and support for people with thyroid cancer.

Causes of thyroid cancer In most cases, the exact cause of thyroid cancer is unknown. What is cancer? Anaplastic thyroid cancer often spreads to the windpipe and, in some cases, the lungs. Risk factors for thyroid cancer The main risk factors for developing thyroid cancer are: having a thyroid condition having a family history of thyroid cancer in the case of medullary thyroid cancer having a bowel condition known as familial adenomatous polyposis FAP acromegaly a rare condition where the body produces too much growth hormone having previous benign non-cancerous breast conditions weight and height radiation exposure These are discussed below.

Thyroid conditions Your risk of developing thyroid cancer is slightly increased if you have certain non-cancerous benign thyroid conditions, such as an inflamed thyroid gland thyroiditis or an enlarged thyroid gland goitre. Family history Inherited genetic mutations are responsible for a small number of medullary thyroid carcinomas. Familial adenomatous polyposis If you have a bowel condition called familial adenomatous polyposis FAP , your risk of developing thyroid cancer is increased.

Acromegaly Thyroid cancer risk is increased in people who have acromegaly. Weight and height If you're overweight, you're more at risk of developing thyroid cancer than someone who isn't overweight. Radiation exposure Exposure to radiation during childhood is another risk factor for thyroid cancer. Other risk factors Diet If your diet contains low levels of the trace element iodine, you're at an increased risk of developing thyroid cancer. Gender Women are about 2 to 3 times more likely to develop thyroid cancer than men.

Diagnosing thyroid cancer For many people, the first stage of diagnosing thyroid cancer is a consultation with a GP. Different cancers develop from each kind of cell. The differences are important because they affect how serious the cancer is and what type of treatment is needed. Many types of growths and tumors can develop in the thyroid gland.

Most of these are benign non-cancerous but others are malignant cancerous , which means they can spread into nearby tissues and to other parts of the body. An abnormally large thyroid gland is sometimes called a goiter. Some goiters are diffuse , meaning that the whole gland is large. Other goiters are nodular , meaning that the gland is large and has one or more nodules bumps in it. There are many reasons the thyroid gland might be larger than usual, and most of the time it is not cancer.

Both diffuse and nodular goiters are usually caused by an imbalance in certain hormones. For example, not getting enough iodine in the diet can cause changes in hormone levels and lead to a goiter. Lumps or bumps in the thyroid gland are called thyroid nodules. Most thyroid nodules are benign, but about 2 or 3 in 20 are cancerous.

Sometimes these nodules make too much thyroid hormone and cause hyperthyroidism. Of patients with hyperthyroidism, 41 1. Thirty 1. Tumor diameter was the maximum diameter measured on pathological examination or by ultrasonography. In carcinomas with multiple foci, the maximum diameter of tumor foci was used as the diameter of tumor. Small tumor was defined as a tumor measuring 10 mm or less and a large tumor, greater than 10 mm. Data from the remaining 37 patients were retrospectively reviewed.

Two of 30 patients with toxic diffuse goiter and 1 of 6 patients with toxic multinodular goiter were found to have papillary carcinoma by preoperative fine-needle aspiration cytology. The mean diameter of malignant tumors was The mean diameter of small tumors and large tumors was 6.

Thirty-one patients were women and 6 patients were men ratio, 5. The mean age of female patients was Although women, on average, were 7 years younger than men, the difference was not statistically significant.

Mean serum levels of T 3 and T 4 before administration of antithyroid medications were 5. Comparison of data between patients with small tumors and large tumors is shown in Table 1. There were no differences in age, sex, duration of thyrotoxic symptoms, serum levels of T 3 and T 4 before taking antithyroid medications, and 6-week postoperative serum thyroglobulin level between the 2 groups.

This difference could be attributed to the fact that most small tumors were treated with subtotal thyroidectomy Table 2. Twenty-five patients underwent technetium Tc 99m pertechnetate thyroid scanning, including those with toxic diffuse goiter 19 patients , toxic multinodular goiter 5 patients , and toxic adenoma 1 patient.

Four of 19 patients with toxic diffuse goiter and 2 of 5 with toxic multinodular goiters had coexistent cold nodules on thyroid scanning.

Thyroid ultrasonography with fine-needle aspiration cytology was performed in 5 patients with cold nodule on thyroid scanning and 8 patients with clinically palpable nodule. Only 3 of these patients had evidence of papillary carcinoma.

Fourteen patients underwent intraoperative frozen section biopsy, including 5 with toxic diffuse goiter, 3 with toxic diffuse goiter with cold nodules on thyroid scan, 2 with toxic diffuse goiter with a solid nodule on ultrasonogram, 2 with multinodular goiter, and 2 with multinodular goiter with a cold nodule on scan. Two false-negative case results included 1 toxic diffuse goiter and 1 multinodular goiter.

Operative methods are shown in Table 2. Total thyroidectomy 6 patients and near-total thyroidectomy 6 patients were performed after confirmation of thyroid cancer by frozen section biopsy.

One patient with a huge multinodular goiter was primarily treated with total thyroidectomy and postoperative pathological evaluation revealed a small papillary carcinoma. Three patients underwent completion total thyroidectomy after postoperative pathological confirmation of malignancy. Of these 3 patients, initial subtotal thyroidectomy was performed for toxic diffuse goiter 1 patient and toxic multinodular goiter 2 patients. Whole-body scanning with 18 mBq sodium iodide I I was performed on 29 patients 6 weeks after thyroidectomy.

These 28 patients also had thyroxine suppression treatment. Postoperative I whole-body scanning and thyroid ablation were not performed on 8 patients with small tumors who underwent subtotal thyroidectomy. The mean tumor diameter of these 9 patients was 4. Initial 6-week postoperative I whole-body scan or chest x-ray films did not reveal tumor metastases.

A recurrence of cancer at the thyroid bed occurred 2 years 6 months after a near-total thyroidectomy for a 3. Distant metastases 2 papillary carcinomas and 1 follicular carcinoma or metastases to regional neck lymph nodes 3 papillary carcinomas occurred The patient with follicular carcinoma died of metastases to the lungs, bone, and leptomeninges 3 years 4 months after thyroidectomy. The patient age, tumor size, and 6-week postoperative serum levels of thyroglobulin and TSH in the patients with metastases were not different from those without metastases.

However, mean serum levels of T 3 and T 4 in the patients with metastases were significantly greater than those in the patients without metastases Table 4.