What is it?

Thyroid cancer occurs in the cells of the thyroid — a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck, just below your Adam's apple. Your thyroid produces hormones that regulate your heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and weight.

How do you recognise it?

A lump that can be felt through the skin on your neckChanges to your voice, including increasing hoarseness

• Difficulty swallowing
• Pain in your neck and throat
• Swollen lymph nodes in your neck

Causes

It's not clear what causes thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer occurs when cells in your thyroid undergo genetic changes (mutations). The mutations allow the cells to grow and multiply rapidly. The cells also lose the ability to die, as normal cells would. The accumulating abnormal thyroid cells form a tumor. The abnormal cells can invade nearby tissue and can spread throughout the body.

How do you treat it?

Like any disease, even if there is no cure, there is almost always something you can do to manage it and take control. There are three main areas involved in the treatment of any disease:

• Conventional medicines
• Complementary medicines
• Complementary therapies

For information on medicines and therapies relevant to Thyroid cancer, make an appointment at your nearest Intervene pharmacy.

Learn all about the drugs used to treat the disease and any complementary medicines or therapies proven to help. Equip yourself with the tools to manage the condition and not be managed by it.

How do you live with it?

Certain adjustments may be needed to get on with your life, and often, some simple tips and advice can go a long way to making these changes. 

When you come to an Intervene clinic we give you any information available to make your life easier and enable you to live with your condition.

References

http://www.webmd.com/cancer/tc/thyroid-cancer-topic-overview

Thyroid Cancer, a comprehensive overview                                                                                                                                         http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/thyroid-cancer/DS00492

http://www.medicinenet.com/thyroid_cancer/article.htm