Thyroid Cancer

An medical article I read said that thyroid cancer is when the thyroid (which is located below your adams apple) regulates your metabolism and having cancer in the thyroid speeds this process up. Making anyone who has thyroid cancer loose weight. So my questions are: What are the obivous symptoms? And just because a parent had this are you, the child, most likely to get it?

[Dennis MD]

Hi.
Thyroid cancer may be caused by:  prior neck irradiation, hereditary conditions like multiple endocrine neoplasia, chronic thyroid stimulating hormone elevation in patients with congenital defect in thyroid hormone production.
Symptoms include an enlarging neck mass, hoarseness in the voice, neck pain, difficulty in swallowing.
If your parent had this condition, it will not hurt to have yourself tested for genes that predisposes one to develop thyroid cancer.
Good luck.

[Giggles68]

Hi,
I am going through my second time with thyroid cancer - this time in my lymph nodes.  Neither time have I lost weight.  I was being treated for Hypothyroidism for several years beforehand.  A goiter can cause alot of the same symptoms of HYPERthyroidism which are things like weight loss, hair loss, rapid heartbeat, nervousness, ect.  Some studies do suggest that thyroid cancer may indeed be genetic, so I agree with Andrew888 - never hurts to get yourself tested.
Good luck to you!