Maintaining Thyroid Health

AHA Publisher — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 08:00:31 +0000

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey via Newswise – New Brunswick, N.J., January 3, 2022 – The thyroid, a key part of the endocrine system, is a small gland at the base of your neck that produces a hormone that helps control your body’s metabolism. Thyroid disorders can range from a small, harmless goiter (enlarged gland) that needs no treatment, to cancer that may need to be treated with radioactive iodine or surgery. Research shows that thyroid cancer diagnoses have spiked for U.S. women over the last decade. Staying educated about thyroid issues, doctor visits and the right lifestyle can help you maintain your thyroid health. Amanda M. Laird, MD, FACS, chief of endocrine surgery at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and associate professor of surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; and Toni Beninato, MD, MS, FACS, endocrine surgeon at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and assistant professor of surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, share more information. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle The thyroid plays a large role in your overall health. While there is no known way to prevent thyroid cancer, some things that may help to maintain thyroid health are the lifestyle choices you make. Consider eating nutritious foods including a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole-grain foods, maintain a healthy weight and strive to be regularly physically active to improve your overall health. Learn to Recognize Signs of Thyroid Cancer The most common symptom of thyroid cancer is a painless lump or swelling that develops in the neck. Other symptoms only tend to occur after the condition has reached an advanced stage, which may include unexplained hoarseness or difficulty swallowing that does not go away. You may also experience a feeling of pressure at the point of the mass. If You Notice Something Abnormal, Talk with a Health Professional The best way to determine if you have a thyroid condition is to consult your physician as soon as possible. If you feel any new lumps, tell your doctor. Masses in the neck should be evaluated first with a physical exam, and then a decision is made to pursue further testing if needed. To evaluate for thyroid masses, an ultrasound is done first. A biopsy may be recommended depending on those results. If you have a family history of thyroid cancer, it is important that you see a health care team that is familiar with the latest advances in genetic counseling and genetic testing for this disease. To read the original article click here.

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Study Links Exposure to Nighttime Artificial Lights with Elevated Thyroid Cancer Risk

AHA Publisher — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 08:00:54 +0000

Wiley via EurekAlert – People living in regions with high levels of outdoor artificial light at night may face a higher risk of developing thyroid cancer. The finding comes from a study published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Over the past century, nightscapes–especially in cities–have drastically changed due to the rapid growth of electric lighting. Also, epidemiological studies have reported an association between higher satellite-measured levels of nighttime light and elevated breast cancer risk. Because some breast cancers may share a common hormone-dependent basis with thyroid cancer, a team led by Qian Xiao, PhD, of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, looked for an association between light at night and later development of thyroid cancer among participants in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, which recruited American adults aged 50 to 71 years in 1995-1996. The investigators analyzed satellite imagery data to estimate levels of light at night at participants’ residential addresses, and they examined state cancer registry databases to identify thyroid cancer diagnoses through 2011. Among 464,371 participants who were followed for an average of 12.8 years, 856 cases of thyroid cancer were diagnosed (384 in men and 472 in women). When compared with the lowest quintile of light at night, the highest quintile was associated with a 55 percent higher risk of developing thyroid cancer. The association was primarily driven by the most common form of thyroid cancer, called papillary thyroid cancer, and it was stronger in women than in men. In women, the association was stronger for localized cancer with no sign of spread to other parts of the body, while in men the association was stronger for more advanced stages of cancer. The association appeared to be similar for different tumor sizes and across participants with different sociodemographic characteristics and body mass index. The researchers noted that additional epidemiologic studies are needed to confirm their findings. If confirmed, it will be important to understand the mechanisms underlying the relationship between light at night and thyroid cancer. The scientists noted that light at night suppresses melatonin, a modulator of estrogen activity that may have important anti-tumor effects. Also, light at night may lead to disruption of the body’s internal clock (or circadian rhythms), which is a risk factor for various types of cancer. “As an observational study, our study is not designed to establish causality. Therefore, we don’t know if higher levels of outdoor light at night lead to an elevated risk for thyroid cancer; however, given the well-established evidence supporting a role of light exposure at night and circadian disruption, we hope our study will motivate researchers to further examine the relationship between light at night and cancer, and other diseases,” said Dr. Xiao. “Recently, there have been efforts in some cities to reduce light pollution, and we believe future studies should evaluate if and to what degree such efforts impact human health.” To read the original article click here.

The post Study Links Exposure to Nighttime Artificial Lights with Elevated Thyroid Cancer Risk appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

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Maintaining Thyroid Health

Study Links Exposure to Nighttime Artificial Lights with Elevated Thyroid Cancer Risk