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Thyroid cancer occurs when cells lose the ability to stop reproducing and continue to divide, forming a tumor. Genetics, radiation exposure, family history, and iodine deficiency are all risk factors. The most common types of thyroid cancer are papillary and follicular.
The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system and its function is to produce hormones that help regulate the body’s metabolism. In the thyroid, healthy cells normally grow, divide, and then stop dividing systematically. Thyroid cancer begins when cells lose the ability to stop reproducing and then die as they normally would, but instead continue to divide and multiply when they are no longer needed, eventually forming a tumor. As of early 2011, medical researchers hadn’t established the precise causes of thyroid cancer. Genes are recognized to play a central role as one of the causes of thyroid cancer, but independent risk factors such as radiation, age, and gender have also been found to be associated with the development of thyroid cancer, hence the relative importance of genes with respect to risk factors such as causes of thyroid cancer has remained unclear to scientists.
There are four main types of thyroid cancer: papillary, follicular, anaplastic and medullary. Papillary and follicular are by far the most common types of thyroid cancer. In the case of these forms, medical researchers have been able to establish that genetic mutations are present in a significant percentage of these tumors. A genetic connection has also been established for both the anaplastic and medullary forms of thyroid cancer, but in a lower percentage of cases.
In addition to genetics, medical researchers have identified several independent risk factors as causes of thyroid cancer. The most common risk factors among the causes of thyroid cancer are radiation exposure, family history, and iodine deficiency. Gender, age, and race are also known risk factors.
Exposure to high levels of radiation is a proven risk factor for thyroid cancer. Radiation treatments to the head and neck for medical reasons are a source of individuals receiving high doses of radiation. The consequences of testing and using nuclear weapons are another. Finally, accidents at nuclear power plants could also cause radiation exposure. Radiation exposure as a child carries a greater risk than exposure during adulthood.
A family history of goiter, which is a benign enlargement of the thyroid gland, is a risk factor for thyroid cancer. Some inherited conditions, such as Cowden disease, also increase your risk. Some forms of thyroid cancer run in families as a result of inherited defective genes. Diets too low in iodine are risk factors for papillary and follicular thyroid cancer. Finally, women are more likely to develop thyroid cancer, as are people over the age of 40 and, in the United States, Caucasians.
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