Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer usually develops because of a mix of things over time. Often there is no single clear cause.

Lifestyle and health factors that can increase risk:

• Having certain thyroid conditions (like a goitre or thyroid nodules)

Longer-term factors:

• Close family history of thyroid cancer

• Past exposure to a lot of radiation, especially in childhood, or radiotherapy in the past

• Being a woman who has not been through menopause yet (risk is still low overall)

Having one or more risk factors does not mean someone will develop thyroid cancer, it just means the chance may be higher.

You don’t need to panic, just notice what’s normal for you. Here are some things to look out for:

• A lump or swelling in the front of your neck (new or getting bigger)

• A hoarse voice, sore throat, or cough that doesn’t go away

• A feeling of pressure in the neck, or pain at the front of the neck

• Difficulty swallowing (less common, but worth checking)

When to get advice

See a GP if:

• you have a lump in your neck (new or getting bigger)

• you’ve had a hoarse voice, sore throat, or cough for more than 3 weeks

• you have pain or pressure at the front of your neck

Tests and next steps for thyroid cancer - NHS

For more information you can visit any of the links below.