Experts theorize that doctors might be discovering more cases by accident during imaging procedures such as CT scans for problems like severe migraines. Or the culprit could be the CT scans themselves—frequent radiation exposure near the neck, especially in childhood, is a thyroid-cancer risk factor (routine dental X-rays and mammograms, however, are not). The best defense is a good offense:
As a general rule, see your doctor if you have a sore throat, hoarse voice, persistent cough, or trouble swallowing for more than two weeks, or if you find a lump in your neck.
If it is cancer, surgery to remove the thyroid is the norm. "I know that sounds scary, but the operation takes just two hours, and patients are often back at work within a few days," says Heller. Believe it or not, it's relatively painless to live without a thyroid:
After your doctor figured out the right dosage, you'd take a daily synthetic thyroid hormone (also prescribed for hypothyroidism) that works to mimic the real thing.