According to Endocrineweb.com, there are four types of thyroid cancer, and one type makes up 78 percent of incidences. In addition, while very rare, it is possible to contract a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the thyroid.
Papillary Thyroid Cancer
Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common form of thyroid cancer with approximately 78 percent of diagnoses. It can occur at any age but is typically seen in the 30 to 50 age group. Papillary cancer will typically consist of a solid mass growing from a normal thyroid, and prognosis is directly related to the size of this mass. This cancer has a high 10-year survival rate of an estimated 80 to 90 percent.
Follicular Thyroid Cancer
Follicular thyroid cancer accounts for approximately 15 percent of diagnoses. This type typically occurs in an older age group, 40 to 60, and is much less common in children. In patients with follicular thyroid cancer, it is common to see cancer cells invading the veins and arteries within the thyroid and therefore makes metastasis more common than in patients with papillary thyroid cancer. Overall, the survival rate in younger patients approaches 95 percent and decreases with advanced age.
Medullary Thyroid Cancer
Medullary thyroid cancer originates from the parafollicular cells of the thyroid and accounts for approximately 5 to 8 percent of thyroid cancers. This type typically occurs in the 40 to 60 age group. Early in the disease, it is not uncommon for metastasis to occur in the neck lymph nodes. Late in the disease, metastasis can occur in the liver, bones, brain and adrenal medulla. The 10-year survival rate is estimated to be 90 percent when the cancer is confined to the thyroid, approximately 70 percent when spread to cervical lymph nodes and drops to 20 percent when spread to liver, bones, brain or adrenal medulla.
Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
Anaplastic thyroid cancer is the least common of all thyroid cancers, accounting for approximately 0.5 to 1.5 percent of diagnoses. This type typically occurs at age 65 and older and consists of a fast-growing mass. In more than 90 percent of cases, metastasis to the neck lymph nodes occurs. Distant metastasis to lungs or bones is very common even early on in the disease. The survival rate, even at three years, is less than 10 percent even with aggressive treatment.
Thyroid Lymphoma
Primary thyroid lymphoma arises from the thyroid gland and does not arise from lymphomas that attack the thyroid through metastasis or directly from an adjacent lymph node. Thyroid lymphoma typically occurs in the 65 to 75 age group. Five-year survival rates range from 53 percent to nearly 100 percent.
Significance
According to the Mayo Clinic, approximately 37,000 people are diagnosed with thyroid cancer in the United States each year.
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