Different Types of Thyroid Cancers | ENT Specialty Group

1. Types of Thyroid Cancers Since thyroid cancers only become symptomatic late, the findings are often incidental during routine examinations. In general, it is estimated that about 1 in 30,000 people develop thyroid cancer each year. In most cases, those affected are middle-aged women. The causes for the development of thyroid tumors are largely unclear. For a long time, it was assumed that a pronounced iodine deficiency, in particular, plays a decisive role in the development of cancer of the thyroid gland. However, this assumption has now been refuted. Although thyroid cancers are comparatively rare, this condition can be particularly deadly. The reason for this is the fact that the various types of thyroid cancer develop recognizable symptoms at an advanced stage. Thyroid cancer is usually diagnosed by chance as part of a routine examination. Regardless of the type of tumor, symptoms do not appear until the cancer cells spread to the surrounding tissue. Typical thyroid cancer symptoms include persistent hoarseness caused by paralysis of the vocal cords, difficulty breathing, and difficulty swallowing. In addition, the so- called Horner syndrome can often be observed in patients who have one of the four types of thyroid cancer. This syndrome usually arises from damage to the smallest nerve tracts. Affected individuals exhibit a significant narrowing of the pupil of one eye (Miosis). In addition, the affected eyeball clearly enters the eye socket (enophthalmos) and the upper eyelid begins to hang limply (ptosis). Depending on the type of cell from which the thyroid cancer originates, there are four types that can be clearly distinguished. These types differ mainly in terms of the most appropriate treatment. The prognosis for thyroid cancer also depends largely on the type of tumor.

2. Although there are a variety of rare thyroid cancers, most tumors of the gland can be classified as one of the four classic types. These classic types of thyroid tumors differ mainly in terms of the most suitable treatment strategy. In addition, the exact type of tumor plays a decisive role in the prognosis. The four most common types of thyroid cancer are: ●Papillary Thyroid Cancer ●Follicular Thyroid Cancer ●Medullary Thyroid Cancer ●Anaplastic (undifferentiated) Thyroid Cancer 1.Papillary thyroid cancer The so-called papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most common of the four types of thyroid cancer, with more than 60 percent of the total cases. The papillary form of thyroid cancer occurs much more frequently in women than in men. Typical of this type is the fact that the tumor cells mainly spread through the body via the lymphatic system (lymphogenic metastasis). For this reason, cancer cells spread, especially in the neck lymph nodes. Papillary thyroid cancer generally has a very good prognosis. Although it is a malignant tumor, with adequate treatment, approximately 80 percent of affected patients can be cured. Due to the fact that the symptoms of this of the four thyroid cancers appear very late, the tumor is often diagnosed by chance.

3. 2.Follicular thyroid cancer In follicular thyroid cancer, the cancer cells are distributed in the body through the bloodstream. With about 30 percent representing the so-called follicular thyroid carcinoma, this is also among the most common of the four thyroid cancer types. In this form, women are more prone than men. Both papillary and follicular thyroid tumors are extremely rare in males. In contrast to papillary thyroid cancer, tumor cells in the follicular form mainly spread through the blood (so-called hematogenous metastasis). For this reason, there is an increased risk of metastases in the lungs or the brain in this type of thyroid cancer. Even with adequate treatment, the prognosis for this type of thyroid cancer is slightly worse. The so-called ten-year survival rate (percentage of those infected are still alive after ten years) is around 60 to 70 percent for follicular thyroid cancer. In both follicular and papillary thyroid carcinoma, it is assumed that ionizing radiation (e.g. X- rays) plays a decisive role in its development. For this reason, a particularly large number of cases can be observed in the vicinity of areas with previous nuclear reactor accidents (for example in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia). In addition, radiation therapy for other types of cancer is an important risk factor for the development of this type of thyroid cancer. 3.Medullary thyroid cancer The so-called medullary thyroid carcinoma (synonym: C-cell carcinoma) does not form from the actual thyroid cells. Rather, this of the four types of thyroid cancer consists of modified C cells. In healthy tissue, the C-cell assemblies are responsible for the production of an important hormone, calcitonin. In addition to other messenger substances, calcitonin plays a decisive role

4. in regulating the calcium and phosphate balance in the body. It is the natural antagonist of the hormone synthesized in the parathyroid glands, namely the Parathyroid hormone. While the parathyroid hormone is involved in increasing calcium levels, the main function of calcitonin is to inhibit the release of bound calcium. Typical of medullary thyroid carcinoma is an overproduction of calcitonin induced by changes in the C cells. As a result, bone-degrading cells, the so-called osteoclasts, are inhibited, less calcium is released and the calcium level in the blood is lowered. For this reason, affected patients often suffer from pronounced sensory disorders. In addition, severe diarrhea is common in this type of thyroid cancer. It is caused less due to the falling calcium levels and more due to various substances produced by the tumor. In contrast to the much more common types of thyroid cancers (follicular and papillary thyroid cancer), men and women are equally affected in this form. The survival rate for medullary thyroid cancer is around 50 to 70 percent. 4.Anaplastic thyroid cancer Anaplastic thyroid cancer is the rarest of the four thyroid cancer types. In contrast to the other tumor types that may occur in the gland, anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is characterized by extremely rapid growth. For this reason, the prognosis for this of the four types of thyroid cancer is particularly poor. In general, it can be assumed that affected patients will only live about six months after the diagnosis. Women and men are equally likely to have this type of thyroid cancer. Both the causes and possible risk factors for the development of anaplastic thyroid cancer are so far unknown.