Thyroid cancer in children is rare.
Thyroid cancer in children is rare, according to Alberto Pappo, M.D. of the Texas Children's Cancer Center. An enlarged lump in the neck near the thyroid gland is usually the first symptom, and temperature sensitivity, heart palpitations, and fluctuations in weight can also be warning signs.
Types
According to Pappo, there are four types of thyroid cancer that can affect children: papillary, follicular, medullary and anaplastic.
Symptoms
According to WebMD, only half of all cases of thyroid cancer in children have enlargements in the neck. The other half have painless, non-inflamed metastatic cancers that may present no symptoms at all.
Significance
Children represent around 5 percent of all cases of thyroid cancer in the U.S. Thyroid cancer accounts for less than 2 percent of all childhood cancers, according to WebMD.
Outcome
According to Pappo, the survival rate for children with thyroid cancer is around 95 percent, although the rate rises with age and the recurrence rate is three times more likely in children than in adults.
Warning
Although a lump in the neck is not necessarily cancerous, it should be examined by a physician as soon as possible to determine its cause and to begin any necessary treatment as soon as possible.
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