5 Recommendations to prevent thyroid cancer
Thanks to the advances in science on thyroid cancer , today we have some recommendations to prevent its appearance.
However, thyroid cancer must first be described as the appearance of a rapidly growing nodule in the neck at the level of the throat.
These nodules can be defined as usually painless protruding lumps that appear without prior symptoms, making it a more difficult disease to prevent.
It is important to note that due to its lack of symptoms, the nodule can be detected in the patient due to other studies and it is only 5% of the tumors studied that are malignant (cancerous).
Thyroid cancer is a disease that today has no known risk factors to recognize it, which complicates prevention.
Even so, it is important to know some of the recommendations that already exist to prevent thyroid cancer and they are the following:
1. Increase iodine intake:
It has been proven that people who live in places or with habits of low iodine intake are more likely to contract thyroid cancer.
For this reason, it is advisable to know the levels of iodine in the body and increase it if necessary.
Iodine can be found in iodized salt and cooking with this type of salt can become an option to prevent thyroid cancer even if it doesn’t seem like it.
Likewise, there are natural supplements that provide the necessary amount of Iodine, it is only necessary to request or focus on reaching the consumption of the recommended amount.
2. Reduce radiation exposure:
Radiation is the leading cause of thyroid cancer and many others, which is why doctors are using it less and less.
When it comes to studies in children, it is recommended that radiation exposure be avoided if possible.
The studies that have radiation are X-rays, CT scans and radiotherapy that there are times when they are necessary to use.
If you can’t avoid radiation, due to other aggravating medical complications, there are ways to ask your doctor to protect the part of your neck where your thyroid is located to avoid risks.
Especially when it comes to children and young people who may be exposed to these studies for minor complications that can bring greater damage in the future.
It is also important to avoid frequenting places with high radiation loads such as nuclear plants, unprotected radiology centers, etc.
3. Know the family's medical history:
The risk of thyroid cancer can be considered to have a strong genetic factor.
Often, when a patient suffers from thyroid cancer, they have a close family member who also suffered from it.
Therefore, one way to prevent it, especially in children, is to know the family medical history in order to act before it is too late.
Just as we know the genetic load of diabetes and hypertension, we should also consider asking about the history of cancer in the family to be prepared.
It is important to emphasize that thyroid cancer is silent, so it must be prevented from childhood if possible.
4. Genetic testing to screen for thyroid cancer:
There are so many advances in science that we can now say that there are already genetic tests that determine if the family gene is affected with a mutation to thyroid cancer.
With this advanced and meticulous study, the root of this cancer can be found and prevented.
It is a procedure that is used in children in order to, if something is found, remove the thyroid gland and thus prevent a fatal cancer in some cases.
5. Perform thyroid ultrasounds regularly:
Knowing this type of cancer as a malignant and silent tumor, one of the best ways to prevent it is by performing regular tests.
In the event of noticing the birth of a nodule, the medical oncologist can treat it in time, reducing the great risks of mortality that come with the development of the disease.
There are countries that have this awareness as a rule, where these tests are performed on patients as routine studies.
These 5 recommendations can create a big change in the perception of thyroid cancer today.
With awareness of the disease, patients can be responsible for reducing their risks, especially by knowing their family history and preventing the development of the disease if they consider themselves at risk.
The idea of these recommendations to prevent thyroid cancer is to get it to as many people as possible, share it.
