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Thyroid tumor

The thyroid tumor is malignant education that develops From cells of the epithelium of the organ. It is not excluded the defeat of the glands metastatic tumors located in other organs.

According to statistics, in 90% of cases of tumor of the thyroid gland has a malignant nature. It was found that 5% of patients with various pathologies of the thyroid gland after the autopsy revealed undiagnosed during the life of a cancer tumor. However, despite such a wide spread of the disease, and from 100 000 population, the tumor has 5.6% of men (data for 2001), deaths from cancer lesions of the thyroid gland is rare. The fact that this pathology has certain features, namely: slowly growing, rarely metastasizes and rarely disrupts the work of other bodies.

Most often the tumor is diagnosed in women aged 40 to 60 years. In men, the disease develops in 3,5 times less.

The disease is most commonly provoked by the following factors:

  • Prolonged excess in the body hormone levels of TSH, which stimulates the body.
  • Ionizing irradiation of the body, which is especially dangerous at a young age.

  • Autoimmune diseases.

  • The radiation of x-rays increases the risk of thyroid tumors in 5-10 times. The period which elapses between exposure and the formation of a thyroid tumor depends on the age of the patient, which underwent x-ray examination. So, if irradiation was performed in childhood, the tumor may appear after 10 – 12 years. If a teenager, then after 20-25 years. If radiation exposure were provided in the adult age, the tumor may appear after 30 years or more.
  • Genetic predisposition to tumor formation. So, as a result of mutation of genes 10q11-q12, D10S170, A, will occur the development of papillary tumors. Due to a mutation of genes 18847, A, formed follicular tumor. Medullary tumor will develop because of mutations of the oncogene RET, 10q11.2, A,

The main symptoms that can indicate a tumor of the thyroid: difficulties with swallowing, cough, sore throat, hoarseness, etc.

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Classification of thyroid tumors

Classification of thyroid tumors as follows:

  • Malignant epithelial tumors.
  • Benign epithelial tumors.
  • Non-epithelial tumors.

Depending on the histological forms of tumor, there are the following neoplasms of the thyroid gland:

  • Follicular tumor prevalence from 15% to 20%.
  • Papillary tumor is the most common (60 to 70% of cases).
  • Medullary – it accounts for about 5% of cases.
  • Anaplastic – the prevalence is 2 to 3% of cases.
  • Mixed tumors occur in 5-10 of cases.

  • Lymphoma from 2 to 3% of cases.

Follicular thyroid tumor

This tumor is second in frequency of occurrence of a form of malignant lesions of the thyroid, after papillary carcinoma. Most often it is diagnosed in people living in countries where there is acute shortage of iodine in food.

Developing their neoplasm of follicular cells, which form an integral part of a healthy thyroid gland.

Follicular tumors usually do not spread to the lymph nodes, but cells are able to metastasize to lungs, bones and other organs.

Malignant tumor of the thyroid gland

Malignant thyroid tumor is papillary, follicular, medullary and anaplastic carcinoma.

  • Most common malignant is papillary carcinoma. Education grows slowly, often involves in the pathological process of the lymph nodes located in the neck. This tumor affects only one lobe of the thyroid gland. Mortality in papillary thyroid tumors is low, treatment is often effective.
  • Medullary carcinoma originates from glandular cells that produce the hormone responsible for regulation of calcium levels inblood (calcitonin). Therefore to suspect its presence you can on high blood levels of calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen. This tumor often metastasizes, which are found in the liver, lungs, lymph nodes and other organs. Often, metastases are already put in the time, only when the tumor is first diagnosed. Treatment prognosis medullary carcinoma often unfavorable.
  • Anaplastic carcinoma is very rare. It is distinguished by fast and aggressive growth, early metastasis in lymph nodes and in distant organs. Therefore, treatment of this variety of tumor is difficult.

A benign tumor of the thyroid gland

Benign tumors of the thyroid gland is:

  • Adenomas, which are formed from the follicular epithelium, forming solid nodules. Nodules may coalesce into a goiter.
  • Cysts, which represent a form that has a capsule with liquid inside. Cysts can appear in any part of the thyroid gland.

Symptoms of thyroid tumor

The symptoms of thyroid tumors the following:

  • The emergence of a sense that in the neck there is a increased education. Most often it arises on the one hand and growing rapidly.
  • The neck in the area where you'll iron be somewhat swollen.
  • There are pains that are localized in the area of the gland and may radiate to the ears.
  • Voice changes, hoarseness appears.
  • Have difficulty swallowing.
  • Possible breathing problems. Often appears dyspnea, cough, shortness of breath.
  • Cough not associated with respiratory infections and present on a regular basis. It is established that if the thyroid tumor has reached stage 4, it sends metastases to the lungs in 61% of cases.

Painful sensations that appear during the Commission of a human swallowing movements, have a stimulating impact on the glands of the throat and larynx. In the end, the patient there is a constant feeling of a lump in my throat.

Another symptom of a tumor of the thyroid gland is hypothyroidism. This conditiondue to the fact that healthy tissue of the prostate becomes smaller, which reduces the amount of produced hormones.

Indicate the development of hypothyroidism following symptoms:

  • Fatigue;
  • Lethargy, drowsiness, apathy;
  • Loss of hair, thickening of voice.

Follicular tumor of the thyroid gland, on the contrary, leads to an increase in the body that triggers the development of hyperthyroidism.

In this case, the symptoms of pathology are:

  • Hyperhidrosis;
  • Sleep problems;
  • Loss of body weight;

  • Cramps;

  • Deterioration of appetite.

In the elderly common symptoms of thyroid tumors appear more bright than in youth. In addition, the disease progresses faster.


Causes of thyroid tumor

It is established that the thyroid tumor in 80% of cases appear in those patients who already have goiter.

The following causes of thyroid tumor:

  • Chronic inflammation of the organ.
  • Accessory female sex and age older than 40-50 years.
  • Lack of iodine in the body, its low content in the food.
  • Chronic inflammation or tumors of the breast and reproductive organs.
  • Genetic predisposition to tumors of internal secretion.
  • The influence of x-ray or ionizing radiation on the organism as a whole and on the region of the head and neck in particular. Especially dangerous is the radiation in childhood and adolescence.
  • The presence of the adenoma of the thyroid gland, which can degenerate into a malignant tumor.
  • Hereditary genetic condition (Gardner syndrome, Caudana syndrome, familial polyposis, etc.).

  • Hormonal surges in a woman's body occurring during the period of pregnancy, during lactation and at menopause.

Most often, in order to form a tumor, it is necessary to influence of several factors.


Diagnosis of tumors of the thyroid gland

Diagnosis of tumors of the thyroid gland begins with palpation of the authority in the office of the endocrinologist. With education, the doctor can feelsingle or multiple dense nodes of different size. Malignant tumors most often soldered to the surrounding tissues, have a bumpy surface and low mobility.

To determine the stage of the tumor allows for a scintigraphy of the thyroid gland. Similar information can be obtained after passing a CT scan.

To clarify the size of the tumor and number of nodes using ultrasound. However, this study does not give information about the nature of the cancer process.

The MRI allows to determine the benign or malignant tumor in a patient. But the final confirmation of the diagnosis is impossible without performing fine-needle biopsy of the thyroid gland with subsequent histological study of biopsy material.

A blood test will reveal an increase in erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anemia. If a person's blood level of the hormone calcitonin, it allows to suspect medullary shape of the tumor.


Treatment of thyroid tumor

Treatment of thyroid tumors depends on what form of the disease in humans and at what stage of development it is in. Perhaps both separate and integrated application of the following methods:

Surgery

The operation is one of the leading methods of treatment of malignant tumors of the thyroid gland. It is not carried out only upon detection of anaplastic education.

Cut one lobe of the thyroid gland is called lobectomy. Its only possible provided that the tumor is small in size and is within the boundaries of the authority. The advantage of this procedure is that the patient will not be required to take hormonal drugs. After all, one lobe of the gland remain to him, and it will function.

Timeouttime involves the removal of the entire organ. In this case, the patient will have throughout life to accept hormones of a thyroid gland, and to do this you will need daily. Often during surgery and remove lymph nodes.

Therapy with radioactive iodine

Treatment is built on the destructive effects on the glandular cells of the thyroid gland and tumors of radioactive iodine (Iodine-131). Once ingested, the drug collects in the tissues of the gland and destroys abnormal tissue of the tumor. While other organs do not suffer.

This method is used after surgery to destroy remaining tissue and metastases.

Particularly effective treatment with radioactive iodine in stage 4 follicular or papillary tumours. To enhance the effect, the patient is prescribed concurrent reception of thyroid-stimulating hormone.

Treatmenthormonal therapy

The hormonal drug can be appointed to ensure the normal functioning of the body, and in order to prevent further growth of abnormal cells that might remain after surgery.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is used to treat anaplastic form of thyroid tumor. The effect is only on education itself. The course lasts for several weeks at 5 days a week. This reduces the risk of tumor recurrence after surgery, and slows the rate of maturation of metastases (if the tumor has invaded other tissue).

As for the forecast, it is favorable provided that treatment was started promptly and the tumor has not reached its maximum size. The least favorable prognosis anaplastic form tumors and lymphoma. The death of patients often occurs within six months from the manifestation of the disease. Increased risk of metastasis differs medullary tumor, which sends abnormal cells in the far away bodies.