Dr. Vishal Gupta will work with you to find the best way to treat your thyroid cancer.

Thyroid Cancer Risk Factors & Symptoms

What are the risk factors for thyroid cancer?

We don’t know what causes most cases of thyroid cancer, but research shows that some factors may put you at a higher-than-average risk of developing the disease:

  • Not enough iodine in your diet. Your body needs iodine to produce thyroid hormones. The main food sources of iodine are iodized salt (salt with iodine added) and seafood.
  • Radiation exposure. Radiation — either given as a medical treatment during childhood or from fallout caused by nuclear weapons or nuclear plant accidents — has been shown to cause thyroid cancer.
  • Age. Although people of all ages can get thyroid cancer, women are typically diagnosed in their 40s or 50s, while mean are usually older, in their 60s or 70s.
  • Gender. We don’t know why, but women are three times more likely than men to develop thyroid cancer.
  • Family history. Some people have a higher-than-normal risk for thyroid cancer or parathyroid tumors because they have inherited a mutation, or abnormality, in a specific gene. In some cases, if it’s appropriate, some people with a gene mutation may decide to undergo prophylactic (risk-reducing) surgery or have their doctor keep an eye on the situation so any problems can be caught early.

    If you have a family history of thyroid cancer or parathyroid tumors, Roswell Park's Genetic Screening team can help you understand what this means for your personal risk so you can make an informed decision about whether you and/or your children should undergo testing for any inherited gene mutations.

    For more information, or to make an appointment with our Genetics team, call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355).

What are the symptoms of thyroid cancer?

Symptoms of thyroid cancer may include:

  • A lump at the front of the neck, or swollen lymph nodes in the neck
  • Hoarseness
  • Unexplained cough (not due to allergies or a cold)
  • Trouble breathing, as if you’re not getting enough air into your lungs
  • Neck or throat pain, or trouble swallowing

How is thyroid cancer diagnosed?