Thyroid cancer incidence is increasing in the United States and has been for the last 20 years. Risk factors for thyroid cancer include a history of an enlarged thyroid, thyroid disease, female gender, ionizing radiation exposure (from treatment for other conditions or exposure from nuclear accidents or weapons), positive family history, and certain genetic conditions. The symptoms of thyroid cancer are usually a painless neck mass either in the thyroid or elsewhere within the neck, difficulty breathing, or difficulty swallowing. Sometimes patients present without any symptoms and thyroid cancer is identified on a physical examination or on imaging.
Treatment
Fortunately, thyroid cancer is treatable and in most cases, curable. Most thyroid cancers can be treated with surgery and sometimes with radioactive iodine, which is a medication that targets thyroid tissue. The more difficult to cure varieties of thyroid cancer often require extensive thyroid and neck surgery and/or external radiation or clinical trials and cannot be treated with radioactive iodine. Most thyroid cancers are well-differentiated cancers, such as papillary thyroid cancer (the most common variety) or follicular thyroid cancer and have a good prognosis for cure.
The doctors at the Sinus and Allergy Institute of Georgia specialize in the treatment of thyroid cancer. We have years of expert experience, and our doctors stay up-to-date on the most recent technology and treatment options available. If you have a thyroid condition or think you may have thyroid cancer, come into one of our three offices located in North Georgia: Canton, Blue Ridge, and Jasper.