The abnormal multiplication of cells in the thyroid gland can lead to thyroid cancer. There are different types of thyroid cancer like – papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic. Papillary cancer occurs in the follicular cells of the thyroid gland and appears in finger-like shapes. Follicular cancer can spread to the lymph nodes and even blood vessels. Medullary cancer grows in the C cells of the thyroid gland that produces a hormone named calcitonin. Its function is to maintain the calcium level in blood. Anaplastic cancer is the hardest form of cancer that spreads aggressively to other parts of the body and is quite hard to treat.

Causes of thyroid cancer
There are various factors responsible for the development of thyroid cancer. They are:

Genetics
One of the most important causes of thyroid cancer is genetics. It has been found that people who suffer from this kind of cancer must have inherited certain abnormal genes from their family.

Exposure to radiation
Studies show that people who have experienced exposure to radiation on their head or neck in their childhood, have the likelihood to develop thyroid cancer.

Iodine deficiency
Iodine deficiency can lead to thyroid cancer. However, this reason is not a very important factor, as people can consume iodine which is mostly added to salt and other foods.

Treatment of thyroid cancer
Treatment of thyroid cancer depends on the stage of cancer when it is diagnosed. The different treatment methods are as follows:

Surgery
To treat thyroid cancer, surgery is the most common method. Depending on the size and spread of cancer, the thyroid glands are either partially removed or fully removed. Partial removal of a thyroid gland through surgery is called lobectomy, whereas if the thyroid glands are entirely removed, the surgical process is called thyroidectomy.

Depending on the size and location of the tumor, if required, lymph nodes in the neck area or the tissues around thyroid gland might be removed.

Radioactive iodine ablation
This process is used to destroy any remaining thyroid tissues after conducting thyroidectomy. As the thyroid gland can absorb iodine, the moment iodine reaches the thyroid tissue; they are destroyed by the radiation that follows. To perform this process, patients might need to stop consuming thyroid hormone pills for a while or maintain a low iodine diet for a few weeks.

Thyroid hormone therapy
This therapy is introduced after performing thyroidectomy, where the patients are prescribed to consume thyroid hormone pills. They help in preventing the left behind cancer cells from relapsing.

Chemotherapy
It is used to kill the cancerous cell through pills. They might have side effects, but with the help of a physician, they can be controlled.

Thyroid cancer if detected early is highly curable. Different types of treatment are available to treat this type of cancer. Patients are required to have a discussion about the side effects and postoperative care with their physician to recover completely.