September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, a time to highlight this common yet highly treatable cancer. Thyroid cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States. While it accounts for only about 4 percent of all cancers, survival rates are high, and it represents just 0.3 percent of cancer deaths.
According to the American Cancer Society, the latest 2025 estimates for thyroid cancer in the U.S. include:
• About 44,020 new cases (12,670 in men and 31,350 in women)
• About 2,290 deaths (1,090 in men and 1,200 in women)
“Of all cancers, thyroid cancer is the most treatable and slowest to spread,” said Dr. Bhanu Iyer, an endocrinologist with Atlantic Health System. “Most patients have an excellent prognosis and can expect long-term survival.”
Thyroid cancer is often diagnosed at a younger age than most adult cancers, with the average age of diagnosis around 51 years. Women are affected nearly three times more often than men, and the disease is 40–50 percent less common in Black populations compared with other racial or ethnic groups.
Thyroid cancer begins in the thyroid gland—a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck, just below the Adam’s apple. The thyroid produces hormones that regulate heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and weight. Tom Thomas, MD, MPH, of Atlantic Health System stated, “Patients who are diagnosed with thyroid cancer usually do not have any unique symptoms that point to the thyroid gland. There are no routine lab tests that point to thyroid cancer either.”
Early-stage thyroid cancer may not cause any symptoms, but as tumors grow, they can lead to:
• Swelling in the neck
• Voice changes
• Difficulty swallowing
There are four main types of thyroid cancer that are classified based on the types of cells where the cancer begins: papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic. Treatment is highly effective, and most thyroid cancers can be cured with a combination of surgery, radioactive iodine, and sometimes thyroid hormone therapy.
Thyroid cancer rates have been rising in recent years, largely because of improved detection through CT and MRI scans. Many of these incidental cancers are small and highly treatable, reinforcing the importance of early diagnosis and careful monitoring.
Copyright © 2025 CMedEd.com
