Thyroid Cancer Diagnoses To Stay About the Same and Deaths To Rise in 2015
01/2015ThyCa Urges Neck Checks, Provides Free Services, Materials in 7 Languages
A total of 62,450 people will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2015 in the United States, slightly fewer than the 62,980 in 2014, while deaths from thyroid cancer will increase by 3% to 1,950, up from 1,890 in 2014, reports the nonprofit ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc. (“ThyCa”) based on information from the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Thyroid cancer is now the fifth most common cancer in women, and three of every four people diagnosed with thyroid cancer are women. The disease affects people of all ages, from young children to seniors. About half of people diagnosed are under age 50. The incidence of thyroid cancer has increased rapidly over the past two decades.
“Early detection is a key to improving outcomes, because thyroid cancer is usually treatable when found early, and is often difficult to treat if it has spread widely or is one of the rare types or variants. A simple neck check by a medical professional during a routine appointment takes only a few seconds and can make all the difference when it comes to thyroid cancer,” says ThyCa Executive Gary Bloom, a thyroid cancer survivor.
ThyCa urges everyone to learn about thyroid cancer and ask for a neck check at doctor's appointments. Signs of a nodule can include voice changes, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or a bulge on the lower neck.
ThyCa provides free educational and awareness materials, support services, events, and a weekly newsletter to patients, professionals, and the public around the world, by mail and by download. The web site has materials in seven languages: English, Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish.
ThyCa also sponsors Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, the worldwide observance, each September, plus year-round awareness campaigns. Details, tools, and tips are on our Raise Awareness page.
The 18h International Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Conference will take place on October 2 - 4, 2015, in St. Louis, Missouri, where dozens of thyroid cancer experts and other specialists will speak and answer questions. ThyCa also raises funds for thyroid cancer research and will award new research grants in 2015, its 13th year of awarding grants toward its goal of cures for all thyroid cancers.
ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of thyroid cancer survivors, family members, and health care professionals and is advised by thyroid cancer experts. For information and free materials, e-mail to thyca@thyca.org, call toll-free 1-877-588-7904, write to PO Box 1545, New York, NY 10159-1545, or visit our website..