Thyroid cancer prevention
Because most people with thyroid cancer have no known risk factor, it is not possible
to completely prevent this disease. However, inherited cases of medullary thyroid cancer
can be prevented. If a family member has had this disease, the rest of the family can be
tested.
Exposure to radiation during childhood is a known risk factor for thyroid cancer. In
the 1950s and 1960s, radiation was used to treat acne and to reduce swelling and infection
of organs in the neck, such as the tonsils, adenoids, and lymph nodes. Recent studies have
proved that people who received radiation to the head and neck during their childhood have
a higher than average chance of developing thyroid cancer.
The National Cancer Institute recommends that a doctor examine anyone who has received
radiation to the head and neck during childhood at intervals of one or two years. The neck
and the thyroid should be carefully examined for any lumps or enlargement of the nearby
lymph nodes. Ultrasonography may be used for people at risk for thyroid cancer.
In areas of the world where people's diets are low in iodine, papillary and follicular
cancers occur more frequently. In the United States, dietary iodine is plentiful because
it is added to table salt and other foods. |