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Did you know that thyroid cancer is the fastest increasing cancer in both men and women? The American Cancer Society estimates there will be more than 60,000 new cases of thyroid cancer in the United States this year alone.

What is thyroid cancer? 

Cancer that forms in the thyroid gland, a butterfly-shaped organ at the base of the throat that makes hormones that help control heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and weight.

There are four main types of thyroid cancer: Papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic thyroid cancer.

Follicular thyroid cancer 

Cancer that forms in follicular cells in the thyroid. It grows slowly and is highly treatable.

Papillary thyroid cancer 

Cancer that forms in follicular cells in the thyroid and grows in small finger-like shapes. It grows slowly, is more common in women than in men, and often occurs before age 45. It is the most common type of thyroid cancer.

Medullary thyroid cancer 

Cancer that develops in C cells of the thyroid. C cells make a hormone called calcitonin. C cells calcitonin helps maintain a healthy level of calcium in the blood.

Anaplastic thyroid cancer 

A rare, aggressive type of thyroid cancer in which the malignant (cancer) cells look very different from normal thyroid cells.

Raise Money and Awareness for Thyroid Cancer 

Join the REACT Thyroid Foundation on Sunday, April 28 from Noon to 5pm at Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ for a walk to raise awareness and money for thyroid cancer research.

Register for the REACT Thyroid Foundation’s Bold Steps to Fight Thyroid Cancer walk here.

Follow the REACT Thyroid Foundation on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information about the event, as well as information about thyroid cancer and thyroid cancer research.

Interested in learning more about how to support thyroid cancer research at Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center? Contact Katie Dewees Detzel at kdewees@upenn.edu or (215) 746-1927. 

Learn More About Thyroid Cancer 

Learn more information about thyroid cancer, thyroid cancer treatment and thyroid cancer research from the 2012 Focus On Thyroid Cancer Conference.

Be sure to subscribe to this blog for information about thyroid cancer and upcoming thyroid cancer events at Penn.