Neck to Neck Discussion

Heavy rains, heavy traffic, flooded streets, for sure I will be late for work (again?!) today even if I woke up and prepare my things early. I was with my hubby  and his two siblings but I was not the only one who will be late, Ate Karen (my hubby’s sister) will also be late for her appointment with the doctor. She will be undergoing chemotherapy today.

She has been diagnosed to have a thyroid cancer. The tumors has been removed through surgery some time last April this year but still she just got to have that radioactive iodine treatment to make sure that any cancer cell that has spread in her body will be destroyed and will not cause any further problems in the future .

But what really is Thyroid Cancer? How do someone get it and what are its symptoms? Most of us might not really know because we rarely heard about this kind of cancer unlike breast, lung, or prostate cancer that is more common.

Thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland located in the base of our neck just beneath the voice box (larynx) that is made up of two kind of cells: the follicular and C Cells. Follicular cells is responsible in making the thyroid hormone (thyroxine and triiodothyronine) which affects heart rate, body temperature, metabolism, and energy levels while the C cells produces calcitonin, a hormone that regulates the level of calcium in the blood.

One may develop a fluid filled lump on his thyroid which is called nodules. About 99% of these mass are benign (non-cancerous) and 1% can be malignant (cancerous).

At an early stage, it is hard to detect if someone has a thyroid cancer since one or two of its symptoms can be mistaken for as Goiter (thyroid enlargement) or a simple nodule inflammation so it is better to consult your doctor if you are experiencing some of the following:

1. A lump which is rapidly growing in front of your neck
2. Hoarseness or difficulty is swallowing
3. Trouble in breathing
4. Swollen lymph nodes on your neck
5. A persisting pain on your throat or neck
6. Prominent change in voice

There are several types of thyroid cancer but the most common and easily treated are Papillary and Follicular cancer and its causes isn’t known yet, experts pointed out that there are several risk factors that could be responsible for acquiring the disease such as environmental factors especially when someone has experienced prolonged exposure to radiation, family history, inherited conditions and race.  Research also shows that mostly women on their 30’s and those whose last pregnancy occurs on the same age or later appears to be of high risk on catching thyroid cancer.

Tests and diagnosis can include ultra sound, blood testing, and fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy, this is being done to determine whether the lymph is benign or malignant. If the tumor has been detected as malignant or cancerous, it is suggested that the patient would undergo a surgery to remove the mass or the affected areas. Four to six weeks after surgery, it will be followed up by a Radioactive Iodine treatment so that the remaining cancer cell that has spread in the patient’s body will be destroyed.  A week or two after this treatment, the patient is advised to have a thyroid hormone pill  that he will take once a day for the rest of his life! Also, a medical check up every six months is required.

We should always remember that “prevention is better than cure.” Let us maintain a clean and healthy lifestyle so that we can avoid all these dreadful and sometimes incurable diseases. We also should never forget to pray and thank our Creator for giving us our lives and healing  not just our physical being but also our souls from all the harmful elements in this world.