Thyroid Cancer

What is the Thyroid? The thyroid gland is located on the anterior aspect (front) of the neck. It can be felt just below the thyroid cartilage, or "Adam's apple". It is a butterfly shaped organ that stretches across the midline of the neck just below the Adam's apple, with its "wings" spreading superiorly (towards the head) on either side of the Adam's apple. These "wings" are called the lobes of the thyroid, with the portion extending across midline called the isthmus. As an endocrine gland, the thyroid gland produces, stores, and secretes the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) into the bloodstream. The thyroid does this as a response to a hormone produced by the pituitary gland called thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH. When the thyroid gland is "turned on" by TSH, it increases its uptake of iodine, which is required to make thyroid hormone. The principal cells ... read more on Thyroid Cancer: The Basics

Support

2011 Focus on Thyroid Cancer Conference - Videos
Videos from the Abramson Cancer Center's patient conference. The Focus On Thyroid Cancer Conference is a full day designed to address the personal and medical issues facing those with thyroid cancer; including those in treatment, survivors, their...

My Story, Thyroid Papillary Carcinoma
I am a survivor. All it takes is some ignorant person who states They want "to get injured or sick to get benefits from the government" to make me realize this. I am active duty navy, and was treated for thyroid papillary carcinoma last June. My...

Useful External Websites
Links to helpful external websites.

Treatment Options

Radioactive iodine (I-131) Therapy for Thyroid Cancer
Overview of I-131 therapy for thyroid cancer treatment.

Thyroid Cancer News

AACR: Obesity Molecule Likely Linked to Thyroid Cancers
Oct 9, 2009 - Leptin, a molecule typically associated with obesity, has been shown to be overproduced in thyroid cancers and is associated with more aggressive disease and poorer prognosis, according to a Middle Eastern study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research Meeting, held from Oct. 8 to 11 in Boston.

Thyroid Cancer Incidence on Rise Since Late 1980s
Jul 14, 2009 - The incidence of differentiated thyroid cancer increased in recent decades, with patterns indicating the rise was not merely due to increased detection, according to research published online July 13 in Cancer.

Radiation Exposure Affects Course of Thyroid Cancer
Apr 22, 2009 - In patients with thyroid cancer, increased radiation exposure is associated with poorer outcomes, according to a study published in the April issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery.

Conference Coverage

Reports from professional meetings regarding thyroid cancer.

Current Concepts in the Management of Thyroid and Parathyroid Neoplasms
Conference Dates: Friday, April 4, 2003 Conference Location: Loews Philadelphia Hotel, 1200 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA Sponsoring Group: University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center Conference Brochure: View the full conference brochure as a PDF. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader which is available free online. Topics Covered:

The 6th International Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Conference
Conference Dates: October 24-26, 2003 Conference Location: Houston, Texas Sponsoring Group: ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc. Conference Web Page URL: www.thyca.org Topics Covered: Endocrinologists, surgeons, nuclear medicine physicians, a pathologist, and a palliative care physician will address issues ranging from

Thyroid Cancer Survivors' 7th International Conference
Conference Dates: October 22-24, 2004 Conference Location: Hyatt Deerfield Hotel, 1750 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield, IL 60015 Sponsoring Group: ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc. Conference Web Page URL: www.thyca.org Topics Covered: Thyroid cancer research advances and care, including testing, treatment, short-term follow-up,