Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month: A Measured Look

What this observance is

Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, observed in September, highlights a cancer that is often very treatable. Its message is measured: awareness of the disease and its risk factors, paired with an honest look at what screening can and cannot do.

What this cancer is

The National Cancer Institute explains that there are four main types of thyroid cancer: papillary (the most common), follicular, medullary, and anaplastic. These types differ in how aggressive they are. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the throat that uses iodine to make hormones controlling heart rate, body temperature, and metabolism. NCI notes that thyroid cancer found at an early stage can often be treated successfully, and that most cases respond to treatment and are usually cured. Thyroid cancer is about three times more common in women than in men and is most often diagnosed in people aged 55 to 64.

Screening & prevention (per NCI)

On prevention, NCI states that it does not have evidence-based information about preventing thyroid cancer and points readers to its general Cancer Prevention Overview. NCI does describe risk factors in its screening summary, including exposure to radiation to the head and neck in childhood or from radioactive fallout, a family history of thyroid disease or thyroid cancer, a history of goiter, certain genetic conditions such as MEN2, being female, and being Asian. On screening, NCI is notably candid: there is no standard or routine screening test for thyroid cancer, and studies have shown that screening does not decrease the chance of dying from the disease. NCI also explains the risks of screening, including overdiagnosis (finding a cancer that may never have caused harm) and false-positive and false-negative results. This is why thyroid cancer awareness leans toward informed, individual conversations rather than broad screening. See the NCI links for details.

How to take part

• Learn the accurate, reassuring facts: thyroid cancer is often very treatable.
• Understand that more screening is not automatically better; discuss any concerns individually.
• If you notice a lump or swelling in the neck, ask a healthcare professional.
• Support free, reliable cancer education.

Questions to ask a healthcare team

• Given my history, do I have risk factors for thyroid cancer?
• I noticed a lump or swelling in my neck; what should I do?
• What are the benefits and downsides of any test you might suggest?
• Where can I find trustworthy information if I want to read more?