Ms. Zhao, 33, is a busy person with a lot of things to do at work and a lot of mental stress. Some time ago, she found a small lump on her neck and went to the hospital for an ultrasound examination and discovered a malignant nodule of 13mm×6mm in the right lobe of the thyroid gland, suggesting thyroid cancer. Ms. Zhao couldn’t accept it for a while. Clinically, it is not uncommon for female patients to be “favored” by the thyroid gland.
This cancer prefers women over men
Cui Meng, deputy chief physician of head and neck thyroid surgery of Henan Cancer Hospital, introduced that thyroid gland is the largest endocrine organ of human body, mainly synthesizing and secreting thyroxine, which plays an important role in regulating body metabolism.
Thyroid cancer is a malignant tumor that originates from the follicular epithelium or parafollicular epithelium of the thyroid gland. According to statistical reports, the ratio of men to women in the incidence of thyroid cancer is about 1:3.3, and the incidence of women is significantly higher than that of men.
“The etiology of thyroid cancer is not fully understood; at present, it is thought that it may be related to the following factors, including: high dose of receiving ionizing radiation, genetics, endocrine disorders, and too high or too low intake of iodine.” Cui Meng said.
Seek medical attention promptly when these 3 symptoms appear
Some people are worried if they have thyroid cancer when they find thyroid nodules in physical examination. Feng Lu, deputy chief physician of head and neck thyroid surgery, said that thyroid nodules are masses growing on the surface or inside the thyroid gland, which are relatively common, but only about 1% of nodules are malignant. If a thyroid nodule is detected during a physical examination, there is no need to worry too much, but further examination is needed to determine the good and bad. Feng Lu reminds everyone that these 3 symptoms should be checked in a timely manner when they appear on a regular basis.
(1) Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck
When thyroid nodules are transformed into cancer, there will be some obvious symptoms, such as swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Of course, swollen lymph nodes in the neck may also be inflammatory and often associated with oral infections, head and facial skin and upper respiratory tract infections. Therefore, a thyroid ultrasound is needed to further determine this, as well as to check thyroid function.
(2) Difficulty in swallowing and obstructed breathing
If you have a persistent cough followed by difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
(3) Hoarseness
Patients with thyroid nodules need to be alert if they develop a sore throat or hoarse voice. When thyroid nodule evolves into thyroid cancer, a hard and uneven lump will appear in front of the trachea and at the root of the neck. It will also spread and metastasize with time, especially to the neck, ribs and bones, and will show symptoms of tumor compression.
These 3 points, I hope you can avoid
Li Peng, deputy chief physician of head and neck thyroid surgery, reminds that pay attention to these 3 points to stay away from thyroid cancer:.
(1) Improper eating behavior. The appearance of thyroid cancer is related to improper diet. Avoid picky or partial eating habits, especially excessive or insufficient intake of iodine.
(2) Long-term exposure to radioactive substances. If there are some radioactive substances in your occupation or living environment, it will lead to cancer in your body, not only thyroid cancer, but also other malignant tumors in your body.
(3) Abnormal level of thyroid antibodies. With high thyroid antibodies, the chances of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis combined with thyroid cancer are higher than normal people. Therefore, it is important to check the level of thyroid antibodies during physical examinations, and if abnormalities occur, you need to pay attention to diet regulation and emotional relief.
