Risk
factors
Although the exact cause of many cases of thyroid cancer
isn't known, certain factors increase your risk:
-
Exposure to radiation.
This includes radiation you may have received as a treatment for
acne or other childhood diseases as well as radiation from nuclear
fallout. If you're concerned
about possible radiation exposure, talk to your doctor.
-
Family history.
Having a parent with MEN 2A, MEN 2B, or familial medullary cancer
means you have a 50 percent chance of having the genetic mutation
that causes these diseases. If you have one of these types of cancer
yourself, your children also have a 50 percent chance of developing
cancer. Your doctor or a genetic counselor can give you more
information and answer any questions you may have regarding genetic
screening and treatment.
-
Certain inherited conditions.
Your risk of papillary thyroid cancer increases if you have
Gardner's syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis — genetic
disorders in which large numbers of precancerous polyps develop
throughout your colon and upper intestine. Untreated, Gardner's
syndrome and familial adenomatous polyposis usually lead to colon
cancer. Having Cowden disease, a rare, inherited disorder that
causes lesions on your face, hands and feet, and inside your mouth,
also increases your risk of developing thyroid cancer.
-
Sex.
For reasons that aren't clear, women are two to three times as
likely as men to develop thyroid cancer.
-
Reproductive history.
Women whose last pregnancy occurs at age 30 or later appear to be at
higher risk of thyroid cancer than are women who have children
earlier in life.
-
Age.
Papillary and follicular thyroid cancers can develop at any age but
become more common in young adulthood. Sporadic medullary thyroid
cancer usually occurs in adults, but MEN 2 and familial medullary
cancer can also affect children and infants.
When
to seek medical advice
See your doctor if you develop any of the symptoms of
thyroid cancer, including a lump in your neck near your Adam's apple,
hoarseness, or trouble swallowing or breathing. And don't hesitate to
talk to your doctor if you think you may be at risk of thyroid problems
or are worried about radiation treatments you received in childhood.
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