Radio Shows | Thyroid Cancer is Rising in the US | mp3 … wma … wav

We’re all buoyed by the news that overall cancer rates and deaths in the US are falling but certain cancers are actually on the rise. One is thyroid cancer which is expected to set a new US record this year.

Since the death rate has remained stable, the increase of new cases has been attributed to better awareness and diagnosis.

Luckily the vast majority of thyroid cancer cases are curable. The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck just below the "Adam’s Apple". And that’s where a small painless lump can appear for some people with thyroid cancer. Better detection of these lumps is one reason why more people are being diagnosed.

Other symptoms can include hoarseness or difficulty speaking, swallowing or breathing, swollen lymph nodes, and pain in the throat or neck. People with a higher risk for thyroid cancer include women, those over the age of forty, with a family history, and whose thyroid gland was exposed to radiation.

For example some of the largest increases in thyroid cancer are in areas with radioactive contamination such as Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, the current rise in US cases has no accepted explanation.

Besides better awareness and diagnosis, some believe environmental exposures and increased iodine intake are driving up the numbers.

They also blame endocrine disruptive chemicals found in such things as cosmetics, pesticides and plasticizers.

Surgery is the most common treatment for thyroid cancer and a new tool may help speed recovery. Researchers are testing the Harmonic Scalpel which cuts through tissue using very small, very fast vibrations and stops bleeding as it cuts out the cancer.

The new procedure is cheaper, safer and less painful. Everything any patient would want. It’s a timely development for a cancer on the rise.

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