How long can you have thyroid cancer without knowing?

How long can you have thyroid cancer without knowing?

Thyroid cancer is the most common type of endocrine cancer, and it affects thousands of people each year. It is important to understand the symptoms of thyroid cancer so that you can get diagnosed as soon as possible.

But how long can you have thyroid cancer without knowing it? Let's take a closer look at this question.

Types of Thyroid Cancer

When it comes to thyroid cancer, there is a wide range of different types that can arise.

While everyone is familiar with the term ‘thyroid cancer’, few people understand the specifics of each type and what they mean.

To better equip yourself with knowledge when dealing with thyroid cancer, let’s take a look at the different types of thyroid cancer and what they are caused by.

Papillary Thyroid Cancer

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid cancer. It develops in the cells of the papilla, which are located within the thyroid gland and produce hormones that help regulate metabolism.

Most cases of PTC are typically seen in younger adults, especially women. The cause of this type of cancer is still unknown, but it has been linked to radiation exposure or genetic mutations in some cases.

Familial Medullary Thyroid Cancer

Familial medullary thyroid cancer (FMTC) is a rare form of thyroid cancer that affects families and is caused by an inherited gene mutation.

This mutation causes abnormal cells to develop in the C-cells—located in the middle layer of the thyroid gland—which then produces excessive amounts of calcitonin hormone, leading to tumours forming on or near the neck area.

FMTC tends to affect multiple members within a single family and those affected often have a higher risk of developing other forms of differentiated thyroid cancers, such as papillary or follicular carcinomas.

Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is an aggressive form of thyroid cancer that spreads rapidly and has a poor prognosis rate due to its fast growth rate and resistance to treatment options such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

ATC starts in the follicular cells—the cells responsible for producing hormones—and can spread throughout other parts of the body quickly if left untreated.

It usually affects individuals over 60 years old and those with weakened immune systems are at an increased risk for developing ATC due to their inability to fight off infection or disease-causing agents effectively.

Thyroid Cancer Symptoms

Understanding the symptoms of thyroid cancer can help you and your family to recognize if you should further investigate this type of cancer.

Swelling in Your Neck

The most common symptom associated with thyroid cancer is swelling or a lump in your neck. This can be caused by enlarged lymph nodes or a tumour in your thyroid cells.

It may be hard to detect this swelling on your own, but it can usually be felt by a physician during a physical examination.

Difficulty Swallowing and/or Speaking:

As thyroid cancers progress, they may cause difficulty swallowing or even speaking due to pressure exerted on your oesophagus or windpipe by growing tumours.

If patients experience these symptoms, they should seek medical attention immediately as they may indicate more advanced forms of thyroid cancer, such as anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC).

Pain in Your Neck and Shoulders

If you experience frequent pain in your neck and shoulders that does not go away after taking over-the-counter medications, it could be an indication of a larger problem.

Pain caused by thyroid cancer may also spread to other areas, such as your ears or jaw.

Again, if these symptoms persist for long periods of time, it might indicate there are more serious issues occurring within the body.

Hoarseness

A hoarse voice or constant cough without any cold-like symptoms could signal that there is something wrong with your throat.

This could be caused by pressure from growing tumours pressing against nerve endings near the throat and vocal cords.

In some cases, hoarseness can also occur when thyroid cancer cells spread to lymph nodes near the vocal cords, causing them to swell up and press against nerves in the throat area.

Unexplained Weight Loss

Unexplained weight loss can occur when tumours grow large enough to exert pressure on other organs within the body, causing them to malfunction or become blocked off from normal functioning processes like digestion.

Additionally, certain types of cancers release hormones into our bodies that can make us feel hungrier than usual while simultaneously lowering our metabolism rate leading to unexplained weight loss even when we’re eating normally.

How To Treat Thyroid Cancer?

Treating thyroid cancer depends on the type, severity, and stage of the diagnosis as well as the age and health of the individual who is developing thyroid cancer.

The most common treatments include thyroid surgery, radiation therapy, and systemic therapy (involving drugs to destroy cancer cells or reduce tumour size).

Families of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma need to be aware that their treatment options are limited due to its aggressive nature.

The goal for these families is to slow the growth of tumours, but rarely is there complete elimination of the disease.

Each person's treatment plan should be discussed with their doctor at length in order to get a clear understanding of what to expect during and after treatment.

Bottomline

Knowing what signs may indicate something’s wrong with your body—such as any combination of these five symptoms listed above—makes it easier for you and medical professionals to take the necessary steps towards treatment before things get worse.

While these symptoms are not necessarily indicative of only one particular illness or disease process, if any combination persists for longer than two weeks, then seeing a doctor would be wise in order to ensure that no underlying conditions exist which require medical tests and care beyond self-treatment methods like rest or over-the-counter medications alone.

Ultimately recognizing early warning signs helps people catch illnesses early on so they can receive proper treatment sooner rather than later.

Read our article about the early signs of thyroid problems or learn about how a thyroid-stimulating hormone test is conducted.