Cancer Types | Thyroid Cancer - NFCR

Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer is the eleventh most common cancer in the U.S. and makes up nearly 3% of all new cancer diagnoses. It is the seventh most common cancer for women in the U.S. Fortunately, most thyroid cancers respond well to treatment, although a small percentage can be very aggressive and deadly.

Key Facts

  • An estimated, 43,720 new cases of thyroid cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2023, with 2,120 deaths expected to result from the diagnosis.
  • The overall five-year survival rate for people with thyroid cancer is 98%.
  • About two-thirds of thyroid cancer is diagnosed when it is located only in the thyroid.
  • Medullary and anaplastic thyroid cancers (about 3 % of all cases) are more likely to spread or metastasize. The survival rate is 40% and 4%, respectively.
  • Women are about three times as likely as men to develop thyroid cancer.
  • Although thyroid cancer occurs in all age groups, more than two-thirds of new cases occur in people between the ages of 20 and 55.
Source: American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts & Figures 2023 and the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Cancer.net website

Signs and Symptoms

Many patients, especially in the early stages of thyroid cancer, do not experience symptoms. However, as the cancer develops, symptoms can include the following:

  • A lump in the neck, sometimes growing quickly
  • Swelling in the neck
  • Pain in the front of the neck, sometimes going up to the ears
  • Hoarseness or other voice changes that do not go away
  • Trouble swallowing
  • Trouble breathing
  • A constant cough that is not due to a cold
Source: American Cancer Society’s website 2023
Thyroid Cancer Location
43720
new cases expected in 2023
2120
deaths expected in 2023
98
% five-year survival rate
Thyroid Cancer RIbbon

Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month is recognized in September. To help accelerate cures please make a gift today.

Thyroid Cancer Research

Harold F. Dvorak, M.D.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Xiang-Lei Yang, Ph.D.
Scripps Research
Paul Schimmel, Ph.D.
Scripps Research

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