Cancer

The thyroid is a gland that is situated at the base of the neck, right under the Adam's apple. It is shaped like a butterfly and has two lobes. Normally you can't feel it under the skin when it is healthy, but sometimes there are some abnormal cell formations that feel like a hard lump under the skin. That is a sign that something is wrong and usually a signal of a tumour. Not all lumps are tumours and not all tumour in that area are cancers, but there is still a possibility. That is why it is better to be aware of other symptoms that may be signs of thyroid cancer .

Just like in the case of all forms of cancer it is better to detect it in the earlier stages because the chances to be cured are higher. Any way this thyropid cancer is pretty rare, as only one percent of the total cancers are thyroid ones. The best thing about this thyroid cancer is the fact that it is highly curable and the chances of totally removing it are pretty high. Also the chances of recurrence in this type of cancer are considerably reduced when compared with other cancers which are a lot more aggressive.

Besides the smaller or bigger lumps that you feel on or around your thyroid, there are also other different thyroid cancer symptoms.

- The enlargement of the neck is one of these symptoms. If you take a look in the mirror you will notice that your neck seems to be a bit wider than usual. This means an abnormal functioning of the thyroid, not necessarily cancer, but sure an alarming signal.

- Since there is something wrong with a gland there will be some enlarged lymph nodes in the area, so try to feel the neck area when the first sign of disease settle on.

- Because the thyroid is placed near the throat, any change in its mass will affect your speach, so another symptom might be the voice changes, the fact that you find it difficult to speak normally and your voice sounds hoarse.

- The tumour affects one of the thyroid's lobes usually, very rarely both of them. So when it starts growing, it will press on your throat, causing difficulties in breathing and swallowing and giving you a feeling that you are choking all the time.

- As your neck area gets larger - as the tumout grows and the cancer progresses from one stage to another, you will feel pain in the neck or throat, going all the way to your ears. You may also experience an extra sensitivity in the neck area, finding it difficult to wear any clothes that stay tight around your neck like neckties, turtleneck sweaters, scarfs and other similar objects.

- A relevant symptom is the permanent and persistent coughing, even if you are not alergic to anything or you are not having a cold. So when you notice a long dry cough with no apparent reason, you should go see a doctor and find out the cause.
- Just like in the case of other forms of cancer self palpation is one of the most effective ways of finding the tumours that are shown at the outside of your body. So if you will feel the whole area you might find some nodules that seem to move together with the whole thyroid gland or sometimes you may feel a bigger lobe of the thyroid.

Of course these symptoms can be noticed, or at least some of them, but they are usually attributed to other diseases. So if you want to know for sure what is the cause of your illness, you have to do further investigations and the final answer will be a biopsy.