Thyroid Cancer Survival

When we speak of thyroid cancer survival rate and other statistics, it is assumed that the numbers speak of the survival rate for 5 years after the disease has been diagnosed. This means that the numbers indicate the percentage of people who are alive after 5 years since the disease has been diagnosed in them.

Thyroid cancer is not a very prevalent cancer in the United States, as only 1.2% of new cancer patients in the country are diagnosed with this condition. The survival rate for this cancer is also pretty high, coming in at a hugely impressive 95%. This does not mean that the disorder is easily treated though, as the patient has to undergo many hours of cancer treatment on a weekly basis, and also undergo a planned and rigorous medication plan.

It is common knowledge that thyroid cancer affects women much more than men, and about two-thirds of all thyroid cancer patients are women. The exact medical reasons for this are unknown.

Thyroid Cancer Basics

Before we delve into thyroid cancer survival statistics, let us get a better understanding of the condition itself. The growth of a tumor or cancerous cells in the thyroid gland, or surrounding regions, can be classified as thyroid cancer. There are primarily 4 types of thyroid cancer that people are afflicted by.

• Papillary Cancer: This affects about 75% - 85% of thyroid cancer patients, making it the most common type. The cancer occurs on one side of the thyroid gland here, and this cancer is quite easy to eradicate.
• Follicular Cancer: This cancer affects around 10% - 20% of cases, and it talks about a situation when the follicles of the thyroid gland are affected. The follicles are responsible for releasing the thyroid hormone into the body, and hence the repercussions of this cancer are slightly more severe.
• Medullary Cancer: This affects around 5% - 8% of patients, and this cancer always originates in the upper central lobe of the thyroid gland. Unlike the previous two types of thyroid cancer, this cancer does not originate in the cells that produce the thyroid hormone. Instead, they originate in the C cells which produce the hormone Calcitonin.
• Anaplastic Cancer: This is the least common but the most dangerous type of thyroid cancer, and the thyroid cancer survival rate for this type is much lower than that of the other types. This affects less than 5% of thyroid cancer patients, and the cancer spreads to the lymph nodes very early, and very quickly. Men aged over 65 are most prone to this type of thyroid cancer.

Factors Influencing Thyroid Cancer Survival

Once all the thyroid cancer symptoms start appearing in an individual, it is important to analyze the condition and determine the stage of the cancer. The survival rate will depend on many different factors like the age of the individual, the general health of the individual, the stage of the cancer, and the type of thyroid cancer. There are several biopsies, CT scans, MRI tests, X-rays and other imaging tests that will need to be carried out to determine the stage of the cancer itself. The stage of the cancer will also be dependent on the following factors.

• The size of the tumor, and how far it has spread.
• The damage that has spread to the neighboring lymph nodes in the body.
• Whether or not the cancer has metastasized to neighboring organs like the lungs and the heart.

Depending on all these factors, the severity of the thyroid cancer is determined and this information helps doctors and medical experts determine the thyroid cancer survival prognosis for the afflicted patient. This following table will give you a general idea about the survival rate for people diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

Stage of the Cancer	Papillary Cancer	Follicular Cancer	Medullary Cancer	Anaplastic Cancer
Stage I	100%	100%	100%	Not Applicable
Stage II	100%	100%	80%	Not Applicable
Stage III	95%	80%	70%	Not Applicable
Stage IV	45%	50%	25%	10%

As you can see from the table, the survival rate is generally pretty high for thyroid cancer. It is only when the cancer reaches the more advanced stages that the survival rate drops. The survival rate drops significantly in the case of Anaplastic cancer though.

With this being said, you need not panic if you are diagnosed with this condition. Since the thyroid cancer survival rate is pretty high, you can make a full recovery from the cancer, as long as the right thyroid cancer treatment methods are administered, and as long as the cancer is diagnosed at a relatively early stage.