Thyroid cancer on the rise

By Anthony Bonaparte, October 31st, 2012

While some forms of cancer — breast, colon, prostate and lung — get plenty of attention, thyroid cancer has quietly slipped up the middle to become the most rapidly increasing form in Canada. In 2010, Statistics Canada reported that cases have been growing by 9.5 per cent per year in women and 6.8 per cent per year in men since 1998.
On Wednesday, Nov. 7 (5:30 to 7 p.m.), a panel of thyroid cancer specialists will be on hand for a talk entitled Thyroid Cancer: Ask the Experts, at the Jewish General Hospital's Block Amphitheatre. The 30-minute English presentation, followed by a bilingual 60-minute question and answer period, will be moderated by Dr. Richard Payne, associate professor at McGill University and a thyroid cancer surgeon with the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and the Jewish general Hospital (JGH).
The free event is open to patients, family and friends who simply want more information. “They can ask whatever they want to any specialist, and everyone in the audience gets to listen. People often have the same questions so it helps them deal and cope and understand the cancer that they have — or had,” said Dr. Payne.
The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck, produces hormones that regulate the body's metabolism. Thyroid cancer can affect anyone, but is most common in women in their 30s. Causes are not fully known, but risk factors are family history, which is quite rare, and radiation exposure. Indications that something may be amiss include a lump or tightness in the neck, a change in voice or trouble swallowing. Treatment can include surgery to remove part, or all, of the thyroid and in most cases, it has a very high cure rate. “The prognosis is 98 per cent. So we do extremely well because we know what we need to take out and what we can leave in,” explained Dr. Payne.
This will be the third such event in the past five years. “We do it because we realize there's a need in the community,” said Dr. Payne. “People get to hear the truth, and they're hearing it from the experts.”
To access the JGH's Block Amphitheatre, use the main entrance on Côte Ste. Catherine Rd. For registration, call
514-340-8255.
anthony@thesuburban.com