• Question: What is Thyroid cancer and what are the sida fects?? xx

    Asked by russarianpantsxx to Mariam, Leo, Jo, Iain, Gioia on 24 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Mariam Orme

      Mariam Orme answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      The thyroid is a gland in your neck, and thyroid cancer is cancer that affects this gland.
      I don’t know any side effects, but I can tell you that one of the treatments for thyroid cancer is pretty clever: the thyroid accumulates iodine, so doctors give patients radioactive iodine. This means that the radioactivity collects in the thyroid and kills the cancer cells, but doesn’t do too much damage to the rest of the body. Afterwards, the radioactive iodine can be ‘flushed out’ of the thyroid by taking normal iodine. I think it’s really cool!

    • Photo: Joanna Watson

      Joanna Watson answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      Thyroid cancer is cancer in a gland at the bottom of your neck (just behind the small hollow where your collar bones meet) which makes and releases hormones.

      Some common symptoms are: A lump at the base of your neck, a hoarse voice that does not get better, sore throat or difficulty swallowing that does not get better or a lump elsewhere in your neck.

      Just because you have any of these, it doesn’t meant that you definitely have thyroid cancer, but you should go to the doctor to get it checked out.

      You can find out a lot more about Thyroid cancer on the CancerHelp website: http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/type/thyroid-cancer/about/index.htm

    • Photo: Leo Garcia

      Leo Garcia answered on 24 Jun 2010:

      Thyroid cancer is when you have a tumour in your thyroid which is malignant. The side effects are a hard nodule on the thyroid, or an enlarged lymph node. Later symptoms can be pain or even changes in voice! Over, or under, activity of the thyroid is also associated with larger tumours. They can be treated with surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

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