ThyCa News

September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month

09/2006

Tips and Downloadable Tools Available at www.thyca.org

Thyroid Cancer Survivors Urge Everyone To Ask for a Neck Check for Early Detection

Thyroid cancer, which continues to increase in incidence and which affects people of all ages from children through seniors, will be diagnosed in a new record total of 30,180 people in the United States in 2006, reports ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association (www.thyca.org).

September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month. The sponsor, the national nonprofit ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc., encourages everyone to ask for a neck check the next time they visit their doctor. Signs to discuss with the physician include a lump or fullness in the neck, lymph node swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or voice changes.

“Doctors are essential to the detection of thyroid cancer,” says ThyCa Board Chair Gary Bloom of Olney, Maryland, a thyroid cancer survivor. “Done properly, a neck check can be as simple as touching the neck and watching the patient swallow. This can be done very quickly and won’t cause any delays for the medical office, but those few minutes could make all the difference in the world when it comes to thyroid cancer. Most thyroid cancer is treatable if found early, but some types are very aggressive and difficult to treat.”

“Find It Early” and “Know the Signs” are the new downloadable awareness flyers now available at www.thyca.org. In support of Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month and to raise awareness year-round, volunteers are also giving and mailing free thyroid cancer awareness brochures, creating community displays of awareness materials, wearing the Thyroid Cancer Awareness Wristbands and Awareness Ribbon Pins, and displaying the magnet ribbons available from ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association.

Survivors, caregivers, and health care professionals will gather for a weekend of education and support at the 9th International Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Conference in Orlando, Florida, on October 27-29, 2006. The Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Conference features more than 50 speakers and workshop leaders, including numerous prominent thyroid cancer specialist physicians from major centers around the U.S., as well as nurses, pharmacist, mental health professionals, specialists in nutrition and complementary approaches for well-being, and survivors of each type of thyroid cancer. Conference details and the registration form are available on ThyCa's web site. Scholarships are available on request.

Throughout the year, free publications, one-to-one support, and support groups are available from ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association (www.thyca.org). ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc. is a national non-profit organization of thyroid cancer survivors, family members, and health care professionals, dedicated to support, education, communication, awareness for early detection, and thyroid cancer research fundraising and research grants. For more information, call 1-877-588-7904, fax to 630-604-6078, e-mail to thyca@thyca.org or visit www.thyca.org.