Health Care

In recent years, soy has almost reached the pop-culture healing status of chicken soup, and it's reputed to reduce the risk of heart disease, prevent osteoporosis and ward off some forms of cancer. However, the relationship between the thyroid and soy remains complex. Soy Products: Thyroid Links? Medical researchers hold a wide range of opinions regarding the thyroid problems/soy products connection. Soy products are thought to interfere with the body's ability to absorb thyroid medication. At one end of the spectrum are those who claim that soy is merely one of the products that block medication absorption, similar to high-fiber foods, iron and calcium supplements. They recommend that patients taking thyroid hormone replacement medication do so on an empty stomach and wait four hours before eating any soy products. However, since soy is found in so many foods — from chips to soymilk — thyroid patients should read nutrition labels carefully. At the other end of the

The relationship between thyroid cancer and radiation is complex. On one hand, exposure to radiation is a proven risk factor for thyroid cancer. On the other hand, radioactive iodine treatment and thyroid radiation treatment are both widely used methods to halt the progress of the disease. Radiation Exposure and Thyroid Cancer Rates Experts have established that radiation exposure from fallout or nuclear accidents and some medical procedures is a contributing factor in many thyroid cancer cases. Experts point to increased thyroid cancer rates among survivors of the World War II atomic bombings in Japan and victims of the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant. In the United States, National Cancer Institute researchers determined that nuclear testing in Nevada in the 1950s resulted in 7,500 to 75,000 thyroid cancer cases in individuals who were exposed to excessive radiation. Also during the 1950s, children were sometimes treated with radiation for tonsillitis and acne.

Checklists that reel off thyroid cancer risk factors, cancer symptoms or thyroid disease rates can seem either alarming or reassuring, depending on how closely they match your situation. When the stakes are high, you can easily forget that "risk factors" refer only to an unknown probability of something going wrong. Having several risk factors doesn't guarantee that you'll get a disease, just as not having any risk factors is no guarantee that you won't. The reason to be aware of risk factors and cancer symptoms is so that you can know what factors are under your control and what you should be discussing with your physician. You may be able to minimize your risk of developing thyroid cancer by making a few lifestyle changes. An early diagnosis is likely to improve your chance of surviving cancer, so regular check-ups are critical if you're at risk. As with all forms of cancer, facts are your friend. The more you know about your thyroid cancer risks, sy

The thyroid gland sits at the front of the throat. It's a butterfly-shaped organ perched just below the larynx, or voice box. Usually a bit larger than a quarter and weighing less than an ounce, the thyroid gland consists of two lobes — the "wings" of the butterfly — separated by a thin section called the "isthmus." The thyroid's job is to produce hormones that regulate your body's metabolism. Your metabolism determines how your body converts food into energy and the rate at which it uses that energy. Because this energy use and activity takes place at a cellular level, every cell in your body depends on thyroid hormones for the information needed to function properly. The thyroid gland's wide-ranging effect on the body's metabolism explains why thyroid problems and thyroid disease can affect health in many ways, and why thyroid problems symptoms are so diverse. Hormones in a Healthy Thyroid The principal thyroid hormones are thyroxine (T

When it comes to thyroid cancer facts and statistics, the numbers show promise, cause for concern and avenues for further research. Thyroid cancer is one of the most survivable types of cancer. In fact, close to 97 percent of those diagnosed with the more common types of thyroid cancer survive for at least five years after their initial diagnosis. The Prevalence of Thyroid Cancer Thyroid cancer is relatively rare, accounting for about 1 percent of all cancers. It is the eighth most common type of cancer in women. According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2006, 410,404 Americans were living after a diagnosis of thyroid cancer, which included people both with active disease and those who were considered cured. Although thyroid cancer accounts for only 1.2 percent of all new cancers in the United States, cases of thyroid cancer are increasing in frequency, and experts aren't sure why. The Increase in Thyroid Cancer Cases From 1997 to 2010, thyroid cancer cases gre

One job of the thyroid is to help regulate the body's metabolism by producing hormones from specialized cells (papillary cells and C cells). Thyroid cancer can develop in several different forms, each of which requires a different type of treatment, depending on the cells affected. Thyroid cancer is both one of the most common and highly curable forms of cancer. According to The National Cancer Institutes, cases of cancer of thyroid glands grew by 6 percent from 1995 to 2006. Fortunately, 97 percent of those diagnosed with thyroid cancer live at least 5 years after their diagnosis. Thyroid cancer affects more women than men, and it is commonly found in young adults. Forms of Thyroid Cancer The four forms of thyroid cancer are characterized by malignant tumors that affect different cells in the thyroid. Anaplastic carcinoma:  An aggressive and hard-to-treat form of thyroid cancer, anaplastic carcinoma is quite rare, accounting for fewer than 2 percent of thyroid cancer c

Anaplastic thyroid cancer — also called anaplastic carcinoma or anaplastic thyroid carcinoma — is the most aggressive and least common form of thyroid cancer, accounting for only 1 to 2 percent of thyroid cancer cases each year. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is extremely aggressive and invasive. It usually originates in the follicular cells of the thyroid, and spreads or metastasizes very quickly. At the time of first diagnosis, the cancer has often already metastasized to one or more of the following regional areas: Lungs Lymph nodes in the neck Trachea. Anaplastic thyroid cancer is more likely to spread outside the thyroid and lymph nodes than any other form of thyroid cancer. It most often affects men, and people ages 65 and older. Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Symptoms Patients with anaplastic carcinoma usually exhibit symptoms of the disease right away. In fact, the most common anaplastic thyroid cancer symptom is a rapidly growing mass in the front part of the neck. Oth