Home > Thyroid disorders > About thyroid disorders (Neoplastic disease) 
However, even if a lump turns out to be cancerous, thyroid cancer is much less invasive in most cases. It progresses more slowly than other cancers and is relatively easy to treat. You can focus on treatment without worrying too much. Thyroid tumors are categorized into three types as follows:
(1) Papillary carcinoma
Of all thyroid cancers, "papillary carcinoma" accounts for more than 80%. It progresses slowly and is less invasive. The only symptom in the early stages of the disease is the presence of a lump and it progresses very slowly. In the advanced stage of papillary carcinoma, symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, hoarse voice and difficulty in swallowing occur. However, most people see a doctor when they notice a lump in their neck and it is rare for a patient to present with advanced papillary carcinoma these days. In papillary carcinoma, cancerous cells rarely spread to remote organs. However, the spread to the lymph nodes surrounding the thyroid gland often starts from relatively early stages of the disease and some may notice the problem because of enlarged lymph nodes on the sides of their neck. Even if the spread to the lymph nodes occurs, the development of cancerous cells in the lymph nodes is also slow and if the patient undergoes treatment at this stage of the disease, he/she can quite often recover from the disease completely. The results of surgery for papillary carcinoma at our hospital indicate a 10-year survival rate* of more than 90%. Papillary carcinoma, therefore, is a type of cancer that can be treated quite successfully. *Generally, a five-year survival rate after surgery means that the patient has completely recovered from the disease. (2) Follicular carcinoma The next common form of thyroid cancer is "follicular carcinoma" and it accounts for about 8% of all thyroid cancers. Follicular carcinoma is also less invasive and, in most cases, causes no problems other than the development of a lump. However, follicular carcinoma may spread to remote organs such as the lungs and bones, but the spread to the lymph nodes occurs less frequently. As this disease also progresses slowly, the rate of successful treatment is quite high if you undergo treatment during the early stages of the disease. The 10-year survival rate at our hospital is 84%. (3) Poorly-differentiated carcinoma Thyroid papillary or follicular cancer can contain histologically poorly-differentiated cells, which is called poorly-differentiated carcinoma. Poorly-differentiated cancers develop rather faster than papillary or follicular cancers. The grade of malignancy of poorly-differentiated carcinoma is slightly higher than papillary or follicular carcinoma, but is lower than undifferentiated carcinoma. (4) Medullary carcinoma Medullary carcinoma is a rare type of thyroid cancer and accounts for 1-2% of all thyroid cancers. Unlike papillary or follicular carcinoma, which is formed from follicular cells producing thyroid hormones, medullary carcinoma is developed from parafollicular cells producing the hormone called calcitonin (C cells), which lowers calcium levels in the blood. About 1/3 of medullary cancers develop in patients who have one or more family members with medullary carcinoma (hereditary). Through genetic testing for hereditary medullary carcinoma, it is possible to examine whether you have the gene that could induce the development of the cancer. In some cases, medullary carcinoma can result in complications that affect other endocrine organs, such as adrenal pheochromocytoma and hyperparathyroidism. These conditions are referred to as multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN). (5) Undifferentiated carcinoma Undifferentiated carcinoma consists of very immature cells. It develops very rapidly and has a high grade of malignancy. It is often seen in the elderly, but does not affect the young. Undifferentiated carcinoma accounts for only about 2% of all thyroid cancers. Women are generally more susceptible to thyroid cancer. In papillary or follicular carcinoma, women are six times more likely to be affected than men. In undifferentiated carcinoma, however, the susceptibility gap between men and women diminishes, as women are twice as susceptible as men.
(6) Malignant lymphoma Malignant lymphoma originates in any of the lymphatic tissues in the body. The thyroid gland normally has no lymphatic tissues but, in diseases such as Hashimoto's disease, the infiltration of lymphocytes (which is the invasion of lymphocytes into the surrounding tissues) occurs, developing malignant lymphoma in some cases. Of all the types of malignant lymphoma, primary malignant lymphoma of the thyroid accounts for 1-2%. It accounts for 2-5% of all primary malignant tumors of the thyroid. Malignant lymphoma of the thyroid often develops through Hashimoto's disease. At our hospital, of all patients with malignant lymphoma, 82% also have Hashimoto's disease. Malignant lymphoma affects more women than men, as women are 4.3 times more susceptible than men. The most characteristic symptom of malignant lymphoma is the sudden enlargement of the thyroid gland or swelling like a tumor. As the thyroid gland is enlarged, it may cause symptoms such as difficulty in swallowing, hoarse voice and difficulty in breathing. In respect to medical tests, the body is examined through ultrasonography (echo) and cytological diagnosis (echo-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology). The diagnosis is confirmed by removing thyroid tissue for examination (biopsy). The treatment is determined according to the more detailed classification of malignant lymphoma and the scale of the affected areas and therapies such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy are performed. The five-year survival rate at our hospital is 93.7%.
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