Thyroid cancer Thyroid cancer Thyroid cancer is cancer that develops from the tissues of the thyroid gland. It is a disease in which cells grow abnormally and have the potential to spread to other parts of the body. Symptoms can include swelling or a lump in the neck. Cancer can also occur in the thyroid after spread from other locations, in which case it is not classified as thyroid cancer. Risk factors include radiation exposure at a young age, having an enlarged thyroid, and family history. There are four main types – papillary thyroid cancer, follicular thyroid cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, and
Thyroid disease in pregnancy scores in infant offspring compared to children of mothers with normal thyroid function. Even maternal thyroid peroxidase antibodies were shown to be associated with impaired intellectual development in the offspring of mothers with normal thyroid function. It has been shown that it is only the maternal FT4 levels that are associated with child IQ and brain morphological outcomes, as opposed to maternal TSH levels. Medications to treat hypothyroidism have been found to be safe during pregnancy. Levothyroxine is the treatment of choice for hypothyroidism in pregnancy. Thyroid function should be normalised prior to conception in women with pre-existing thyroid disease.