Thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer

Also known as: Cancer, thyroid

Thyroid cancer is a disease that occurs when abnormal cells begin to grow in the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is shaped like a butterfly and is located in the front of your neck. It makes hormones that regulate the way your body uses energy and that help your body work normally.

Providence Head, Neck and Oral Cancer Program offers world-class care for patients with benign and malignant tumors of the oral cavity (mouth), tongue, pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), nose, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands and thyroid gland, as well as tumors at the skull base.

Read more in our library »

Choose a category above to find details about related Providence services.

Services offered by Providence

Cancer Center lending libraries

Knowledge about cancer helps patients and their loved ones as they navigate diagnosis, treatment and recovery. For patients and families, easily-acces More »

Cancer genetic counseling

Working as part of a team of doctors and other health professionals, genetic counselors provide education and support to families with members who hav More »

Cancer risk assessment and genetic counseling

Cancer risk assessment examines personal and family history information that influences cancer risk. More »

Multidisciplinary cancer care

The evidence-based, multidisciplinary team approach to patient care at Providence Cancer Center is creating hope and changing lives for many people More »

Oncology nurse navigator

An oncology nurse navigator is an oncology certified nurse (OCN) who provides  education for each cancer patient concerning their individual treatme More »

Tobacco counseling

Ready to quit smoking?  We can help.  More »

From the experts

Ask an Expert: Chemotherapy and insomnia

Q: I'm undergoing chemo, and though I am experiencing heavy-duty fatigue, I am also suffering from insomnia! Sometimes it's hard to fall asleep; other nights I wake up around 3 a.m. for an hour or two. My medical oncologist said chemo can disrupt the sleep-wake cycle and prescribed Ambien. I don't like the idea of relying on a sleeping pill. Anything else I can do?

Answer from Miles Hassell, M.D., director of Providence Integrative Medicine at Providence Cancer Center:

Ask an Expert: Should I request a thyroid guard during a mammogram?

A recent chain email, forwarded by a friend, has me concerned. The email focuses on a recent episode of “The Dr. Oz Show,” in which Dr. Mehmet Oz suggested that radiation from mammograms and dental X-rays could be partly responsible for increasing rates of thyroid cancer. According to the email, thyroid guards are available to protect patients during dental and breast imaging, but are not routinely used. My questions: How serious are these thyroid risks? Should I insist on using a thyroid guard when I have dental X-rays and mammograms?

Recommended Resources

American Cancer Society

American Cancer Society: Cancer staging

Cancer.net (AKA: People Living with Cancer)

National Cancer Institute

Video presentation- Is It Your Thyroid?: Women and Thyroid Disease