Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month Highlights Neck Checks, Free Education and Support, Research Needs
09/2016For Immediate Release, September 1, 2016
Free Graphics and Handouts Are Available on www.thyca.org
While thyroid cancer is usually treatable if found early, some types and variants are aggressive and difficult to treat. People of all ages from children through seniors can get the disease, and patients need lifelong daily medication and periodic testing following treatment. These are some of many reasons why ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc. sponsors Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month each September, worldwide.
A total of 64,300 people will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2016 in the United States, and hundreds of thousands worldwide. Throughout Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, survivors, caregivers, and friends in more than 100 countries, together with collaborating organizations, will be urging everyone to:
- “Find It Early” through neck checks and expert follow-up,
- Help thyroid cancer patients and caregivers find a wide array of free support and education resources and events,
- Underscore the urgent need for more research for cures for all thyroid cancer.
ThyCa encourages people to ask for a neck check when they visit their doctor. A neck check can be done quickly.
“Health care professionals are essential to the detection of thyroid cancer,” says ThyCa Executive Director Gary Bloom, himself a thyroid cancer survivor. “Signs to discuss with the physician include a lump or fullness in the neck, lymph node swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or voice changes. These are signs of a possible thyroid nodule. Most thyroid nodules are benign, but some are cancer.”
This year marks the 16th anniversary of Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month. Worldwide, special events and social media and e-mail campaigns will highlight thyroid cancer awareness and action to improve outcomes for everyone.
During September and year-round, free flyers, graphic images, and more are available from ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc. Founded in 1995, ThyCa is advised by 54 thyroid cancer specialists, provides free services for people with every type of thyroid cancer (papillary, follicular, medullary, anaplastic, and variants), materials in 8 languages, videos and webinars, the annual International Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Conference, a weekly newsletter, and thyroid cancer research grants open to researchers and institutions worldwide.
For free thyroid cancer materials, information, and connections to support groups and events, visit www.thyca.org or call toll-free 877-588-7904, write to ThyCa at PO Box 1545, New York, NY 10159-1545, or e-mail to thyca@thyca.org.
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Media Contact: Cherry Wunderlich, 301-493-8810, cwunderlich@thyca.org
ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc.