Facts About Thyroid Cancer

In light of recent events and the fact that I never would have imagined at the age of 36 that I would be diagnosed with thyroid cancer, I thought I'd share some facts with you all.


There are about 37,000 new cases of thyroid cancer each year in the US, according to the National Cancer Institute. Females are more likely to have thyroid cancer at a ratio of three to one. Thyroid cancer can occur in any age group, although it is most common after age 30, and its aggressiveness increases significantly in older patients. The majority of patients present with a nodule on their thyroid that typically does not cause symptoms. Remember, over 99% of thyroid nodules are not cancer. But when thyroid cancer does begin to grow within the thyroid gland, it almost always does so within a discrete nodule within the thyroid.


Most thyroid cancers are very curable. In fact, the most common types of thyroid cancer (papillary and follicular) are the most curable. In younger patients, both papillary and follicular cancers have a more than 97% cure rate if treated appropriately. Both papillary and follicular cancers are typically treated with complete removal of the lobe of the thyroid that harbors the cancer, in addition to the removal of most or all of the other side.

The bottom line is that most thyroid cancers are papillary thyroid cancer, and this is one of the most curable cancers of all cancers that humans get.  Treated correctly, the cure rate is extremely high.

I had papillary carcinoma in a nodule in my right lobe. I had no symptoms prior to my doctor finding the lump, in fact my doctor isn't thorough at all, so it was during a physical for the lap band that the lump was found. I knew nothing about thyroid cancer before my lump was found. It's amazing how prevalent it's become, especially amongst women my age.