More than 52,000 cases of thyroid cancer were reported in the country, with more than 35,000 women suffering from the condition in 2019. Unlike other types of cancers, thyroid cancer usually gets detected at a younger age. The incidents of this cancer are steadily rising in the country; hence, there is a much-needed diagnosis for treatment. Thyroid cancer is easily treatable if diagnosed early. Usually, surgery is the first line of treatment.

However, before that, one needs to be aware of the main types of thyroid cancer, namely papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic:

1. Papillary thyroid cancer
Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common type of thyroid cancer that accounts for nearly 80% of cases. This cancer can develop in both lobes of the thyroid gland and is usually found on one side of the lobe. It can spread to the lymph node in the neck. Though it grows slowly, this type of thyroid cancer can spread quickly to other parts of the body and is easily treatable; it also has a better chance of full recovery. This type of thyroid cancer is usually seen in women between the age group of 25-55 years. It is also predominantly found in adults that were exposed to radiation in the neck and head.

2. Follicular thyroid cancer
Follicular thyroid cancer is another common type of thyroid cancer that develops slowly from the follicular cells. This cancer usually does not spread to the lymph nodes. Follicular cancer is treatable and curable too, and is often seen in women over 50 years of age. This is not as common as papillary thyroid cancer. It roughly accounts for 15% of thyroid cancer cases, and usually affects people between the age group of 40-60 years. Treatments in older patients must be immediate as it affects them in a much aggressive manner.

3. Medullary thyroid cancer
Medullary thyroid cancer is the only thyroid cancer that develops in the parafollicular cells and accounts for 3-10% of overall thyroid cancer cases. This type of thyroid cancer can spread to the lymph nodes, lungs, and liver much before the patient exhibits any symptoms that are associated with medullary thyroid cancer.

4. Anaplastic thyroid cancer
The fourth main type of thyroid cancer, anaplastic thyroid cancer, accounts for only 1% of thyroid cancer cases and is considered as a serious type of thyroid cancer. It generally forms from a tumor and then mutates to a more aggressive form. This falls in the category of undifferentiated thyroid cancer that results in breathing difficulties by causing issues in the trachea.

Apart from these main types of thyroid cancer, Hürthle cell adenoma is another type of thyroid cancer. It is typically seen in women between the age group of 70-80 years. This is usually a rare benign tumor. Generally, it can be difficult to predict the presence of Hürthle cell adenoma, even after the removal of the mass. Poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma is generally a malignant neoplasm of follicular cell origin.