Thyroid Cancer Essay example -- essays research papers

The thyroid secretor is the gland that makes and stores hormones that help regulate the heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and metabolism. Thyroid hormones atomic number 18 essential for the control of every cell in the body. They help regulate growth and the rate of chemical reactions in the body. Thyroid hormones in like manner help children grow and check. The thyroid gland is located in the lower part of the neck, below the Adams apple, wrapped around the trachea. It has the shape of a butterfly with two lobes attached to one another by a middle part called the isthmus. The thyroid uses iodine, a mineral found in some foods and in iodized salt, to make its hormones. The two most in-chief(postnominal) thyroid hormones are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). The thyroid gland also makes the hormone calcitonin, which is involved in calcium metabolism and stimulating bone cells to summate calcium to bone. Thyroid caner is a disease in which the cells of the t hyroid gland become abnormal, grow uncontrollably and form a mass of cells called a tumor. both(prenominal) tumors grow and enlarge only at the site where they began. These types of tumors are referred to as benign tumors. Other tumors not only enlarge locally, but they also micturate the potential to invade and destroy the normal tissues around them and to spread to other regions of the body. These types of tumors are called malignant tumors or pubic louse.() Malignant tumors of the thyroid gland tend to develop gradually and remain localized. The tumors usually appear as nodules or lumps of tissue growing on or inside the gland itself. Almost 95% of these lumps or nodules are non-cancerous (benign), and are usually caused by thyroid conditions such as goiters (Shin 422). The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 23,600 freshly cases of thyroid cancer in the U.S. in 2004 (Thackery 1057). Women are three times more likely to develop thyroid cancer than men. Although the disease also affects young people, most people who develop thyroid cancer are over 50 years of age. Caucasians are affected more often than African-Americans (Rubin 88). There are four main types of thyroid cancers papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic. These tumors are identified by the type of cells seen under the microscope. Papillary thyroid tumors occur most often. This type of thyroid cancer develops on one or b... ... people with thyroid cancer have no known risk factors. Therefore it may not be practicable to prevent it. However, inherited cases of medullary thyroid cancer can be prevented if radiation to the neck is avoided (Longe 3308). If a family member has had the disease, the rest of the family can be testes and inured early. The National Cancer Institute recommends an examination for anyone who has received radiation to the head and neck area during childhood at intervals of one or two years. It is also recommended that the neck and the thy roid should be carefully examined for any lumps or enlargement of the nearby lymph nodes. Work CitedLonge, Jacqueline L. Thyroid Cancer. The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. 2nd ed. 2001.Rubin, Alan L. Thyroid for Dummies. New York, NY hungry Minds, 2001.Shin, Linda M. Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders Sourcebook. Detroit, MI Omnigraphics, 1998Surks, Martin I. The Thyroid Book. Yonkers, NY Consumer Reports Books, 1993Thackery, Ellen. Thyroid Cancer.