May 07, 2011 Posted Under: Other

Kids With Cancer – One Type Being Thyroid Cancer

The thyroid gland is located at the base of the throat just below the Adam’s apple. The butterfly shaped gland has two lobes joined by a strip of tissue called the isthmus. The function of the thyroid gland is to produce the thyroid hormones, thyroxine, triiodothyronine and calcitonin.

When evaluating children with a thyroid nodule, they are usually divided into either prepubertal or post-pubertal allowing to make some distinctions. Children will usually present perfectly healthy but will have a lump or nodule in the thyroid and/or hard persistent swollen lymph glands in the neck. If the nodule is large the child may have trouble breathing or swallowing and have a hoarse voice.

The 3 types of thyroid cancer in children:

  1. Papillary cancer is the form of cancer that occurs in the cells that produce thyroid hormones containing iodine. It is the most common of thyroid cancers in children. Although it grows very slowly it can spread to the lymph nodes via lymphatics in the neck and occasionally may spread to other areas.
  2. Follicular cancer also develops in the cells that produce thyroid hormones containing iodine. This type of thyroid cancer is more common in the slightly older age group and less so in children. It may spread to the neck via blood vessels, causing it to spread to other areas of the body, making it more difficult to control.
  3. Medullary cancer is a rare form of cancer that develops in the cells that produce the hormone calcitonin. In children, usually the older age group, this cancer is usually associated with specific inherited genetic conditions. It is the fastest growing type of thyroid cancer and the abnormal cells grow and spread quickly to the neck area.

As a parent, if symptoms present themselves,take the child to the doctor. The doctor will then examine the head and neck area, looking for unusual lumps or nodules.

To determine the production of the thyroid hormones blood testing will be done.

Ultrasound imagining may be ordered to create an image of the neck area to have a better look at the thyroid gland and the lymph nodes. The ultra sound is normally followed by a needle biopsy if necessary to determine the cause of the lump.

A radioactive iodine scan providing information about the thyroid function and areas of the gland that do not absorb iodine normally is sometimes warranted.

Treatment for this condition in children will usually be surgery and possibly followed by radioactive iodine treatment to destroy any remaining cancerous thyroid tissue.

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