With the increasing incidence rate of thyroid cancer in Metro Cebu, the Eduardo J. Aboitiz Cancer Center (EJACC) of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) urged the public to undergo early screening and prevention measures to fight the disease.
“Thyroid cancer is high on prognosis. It is preventable through various screening methods, such as physical examination and ultrasound of the neck, as well as some prevention measures, including regular exercise and maintenance of a well-balanced diet,” said Ronald delos Reyes, EJACC program coordinator.
Based on EJACC’s Metro Cebu Population-based Cancer Registry, the incidence rate of thyroid cancer in 2003 to 2007 is high but the mortality rate is comparatively lower.
Within this period, about 573 cases of thyroid cancer were reported, of which 116 died of the disease. Ninety-seven cases have been attributed to persons between the ages 15-30 while 350 cases to persons aged 30-60. Of the cases, 134 involve male, while 439 are female.
As a common type of cancer diagnosed in men and women, thyroid cancer ranked sixth in most common cancer cases in Metro Cebu.
According to the 2010 journal of the Philippine Cancer Facts and Estimates of the Philippine Cancer Society, the incidence rate had increased from 1980 to 2002, with an annual change of 0.4 percent in males and 1.6 percent in females.
Thyroid cancer is the most common cancer among women 15-24 years old. The incidence rate rises at age 30 and continues to rise with increasing age. Among men, the incidence rate begins to increase much later, starting at 60 years old.
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of the neck just below the Adam’s apple. It works like a tiny factory that uses iodine, mostly from the diet in foods like seafood and salt, to produce thyroid hormones that, in turn, help regulate the body’s growth and metabolism and other functions of the body.
The most common signs and symptoms of thyroid cancer include a lump or thyroid nodule that can be felt in the neck, trouble in swallowing, throat or neck pain, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, cough and vocal changes.
People exposed to high levels of radiation are much more likely to develop papillary or follicular thyroid cancer.
Treatment with X-rays is one significant source of radiation exposure. Between the 1920s and the 1950s, doctors used high-dose X-rays to treat children who had enlarged tonsils, acne, and other problems affecting the head and neck. Later, scientists found that some people who had received the treatment developed thyroid cancer.
People who are diagnosed with thyroid cancer may undergo surgery. Common surgeries include thyroidectory, lobectomy and tracheostomy.
“Like many other cancers, thyroid cancer may be easily cured with early detection, at a time when they are not likely to have spread beyond the thyroid gland,” delos Reyes said.
For more information about thyroid cancer, please contact EJACC at 254-6351 and look for Gina Mariquit.