The thyroid is located on the front of the neck under the larynx and in front of the trachea and esophagus. A normal-sized thyroid is butterfly-shaped and consists of two lobes that are connected to each other. The parathyroid glands are located at the back. A malignant cancer does not initially cause any symptoms. The first signs are lumps that form on the neck, near the thyroid, e.g. the trachea or esophagus. If they are large enough, the lumps are noticeable and usually hard and may grow quickly. The following symptoms can indicate a tumor in the thyroid: Enlarged thyroid, lumps or swelling in the neck area, difficulty swallowing, coughing, hoarseness, shortness of breath
In 2019, around 235,300 women and 197,600 men developed thyroid cancer. The average age of onset for women was 49 years, and for men 53 years. Worldwide, death rates from thyroid cancer decreased between 2004 and 2019 for both men and women. At the same time, the age-standardized incidence rates have increased for both. However, this was only due to papillary carcinomas, the most common histological type in both sexes, which has a very good prognosis. The increase mainly affects people up to the age of 60. Thyroid cancer is usually diagnosed at an early stage. The proportion of women is 73 percent, compared to 56 percent for men. In terms of the relative five-year survival rate, women have an even better prognosis at 89 percent than men at 84 percent.
With the help of our thyroid cancer enzyme, the spread and growth of malignant tumors can be specifically slowed down.