It is important to understand if you have any risk factors for developing thyroid cancer to help your doctors develop a course of treatment that will be the most beneficial for you. According to some thyroid cancer specialists, it can be a combination of environmental and genetic factors, which may cause thyroid cancer.

1. Thyroid Cancer
Risk Factors
- by
The ENT Specialty Group

3. Thyroid Cancer Risk Factors
A risk factor for thyroid cancer is a condition, behavior, or other part of your life that increases
the likelihood of developing the disease.
It is important to understand if you have any risk factors for developing thyroid cancer to help
your doctors develop a course of treatment that will be the most beneficial for you.
According to some thyroid cancer specialists, it can be a combination of environmental and
genetic factors, which may cause thyroid cancer.
There are some people who will not show any signs or have symptoms. And others may see or
feel a lump in their neck region. Doctors recommend treatments that treat thyroid cancer at its
core. Those are hormonal therapy, radioactive iodine, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy if
the matter worsens.

4. What about the risk factors:
A risk factor is mainly determined by those stages, which will improve your chances of
becoming a victim of thyroid cancer. Keeping a check on thyroid cancer risk factors is
important. It will not only prevent you from getting cancer but will further help you to know if
you have thyroid cancer from its initial stages.
There are certain risk factors, which you can change, like smoking. But then there are other risk
factors, which you cannot control, like family history, age, and more. If you have family
members who have suffered from thyroid cancer, then you may have a higher chance of
getting it as well!
You should remember that just having the risk factors does not mean that you will end up
having the disease or getting you infected. Most people with the disease will have few or even
no known risk factors at all. According to scientific researches, scientists came up with some
risk factors, and here are several of them.

5. Family history:
If you have a first-degree relative who has had thyroid cancer, then that increases your chances
of developing thyroid cancer. Scientists have yet to discover the genetic basis behind it, and the
research continues.
Hereditary conditions:
There are hereditary conditions, that are associated with thyroid cancer.
Familial adenomatous polyposis:
Patients start to develop polyps called adenomas. These polyps tend to grow in the lining of
the colon and rectum. These patients can also suffer from other types of cancers such as
papillary thyroid cancer. Patients can also suffer from a FAP subtype, known as Gardner
syndrome, where they get certain benign tumors.

6. Medullary thyroid cancer:
Medullary thyroid cancer is the result of an abnormal inherited gene. Also known as familial
medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC), this can be a standalone carcinoma or be found with
other tumors.
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) is caused by an inherited mutation in the RET
gene. Most people with MEN2 will develop medullary thyroid cancer. MEN2 can cause other
types of tumors. There are two sub-categories, MEN 2a and MEN 2b.
Other forms of thyroid cancers:
There are several other types of hereditary cancers, such as:
Cowden syndrome – caused by mutation of the PTEN gene which causes non- cancerous
growths in the thyroid.

7. Carney complex – is a very rare hereditary that may cause light brown spots on the skin. It
increases the risk of tumors growing in the endocrine glands, including the thyroid.
Gender and age:
Thyroid cancer is more prevalent in women than men. Women suffer from thyroid cancer 3
times more than men. And more so during the reproductive years. The highest number of
women diagnosed with thyroid cancer are between the ages of 44 and 49 years. Men are
more likely to develop thyroid cancer at an older age.
The reasons for this are still unclear. Researchers are looking at the relationship between
thyroid cancer and:

8. • pregnancy
• the use of oral contraceptives
• hormone replacement therapy
• the age periods start
• the age of menopause
Get hold of the best doctor:
No matter what your risk factor is, if you suspect that you might have cancer or have the
slightest symptoms, make an appointment thyroid cancer specialist. When thyroid cancer is
identified and treated at an early stage, the prognosis is excellent.
This is especially true for people diagnosed with papillary and follicular thyroid cancer. For
more details regarding Thyroid Cancer you can visit our Website.

9. Thank You