What are the Risk Factors for Thyroid Cancer?

Thyroid Cancer: Risk Factors by Age, Family & Health

A risk factor indicates signs and patterns that increase the chances of developing cancer. For instance, some potential risk factors can be associated with a certain kind of condition, behaviour or even substance.

Thyroid cancer may develop at any stage. However, those between 20 and 55 years of age are most likely to develop this medical condition, with women at a greater risk than men.

Know the Different Risk Factors of Thyroid Cancer

Over the years, medical researchers have identified several strong risk factors linked with developing thyroid cancer. These are as follows:

1. Exposure to Ionising Radiation

It is the most prominent risk factor for a person who may develop thyroid cancer. The age at which an individual is exposed to harmful ionising radiation affects the chance of developing the illness.

Children who undergo radiation therapy to the neck and head remain at a higher risk of falling victim to thyroid cancer. The symptoms can be generally noticed after 20-40 years of radiation exposure.

2. Non-cancerous Conditions of the Thyroid

If a patient has a history of benign or non-cancerous thyroid conditions, their risk of being afflicted with thyroid cancer increases. Some of these conditions are:

Inflammation of the thyroid
Goitre (an enlarged thyroid as compared to its usual size)
Thyroid nodules

3. Family History of the Specific Cancer

When someone has a parent or sibling with thyroid cancer, they are at a greater risk of getting this disease. Doctors have assumed that this risk factor is possibly due to specific genetic conditions.

4. Hereditary Conditions

Various types of thyroid cancer can occur from the following typical hereditary conditions:

The most common subtype among the conditions is MEN2A, which can lead to medullary thyroid cancer accompanied by tumours in the parathyroid gland and the adrenal gland.
MEN2B is another inherited mutation that can cause medullary thyroid cancer with tumours in the nerve cells.
An individual can suffer from familial medullary thyroid cancer syndrome, which is another typical hereditary condition that causes cancer.

5. Obesity

A person can also become vulnerable to developing thyroid cancer if their body mass index (BMI) increases much above the healthy weight range. However, it is just an observation, as there is no clear reason for this outcome.

6. Tall Height

Taller individuals may develop thyroid cancer. As of now, medical professionals have yet to explain the scientific basis of this discovery. It may have something to do with their hormone levels throughout life, such as in childhood, adolescence and adulthood.

7. Acromegaly

Acromegaly is an uncommon health condition that may develop when a person's body produces excessive growth hormone. This increased hormonal supply forces the bones and organs, including the thyroid gland, to grow more than the typical dimensions and as a result, these may become deformed. Individuals with acromegaly may develop thyroid cancer over time.

Additional Possible Factors

Other than the above-mentioned factors, more elements have been associated with thyroid cancer. However, significant research is necessary to clearly explain their role in developing cancer.

Iodine-deficient diet
Eating vegetables very infrequently or frequently consuming vegetables from the cabbage family
Greater levels of TSH or thyroid-stimulating hormone
Diabetes
Hormonal and reproductive factors in women

Nonetheless, researchers have not found any direct link between thyroid cancer and lifestyle choices like drinking alcohol or smoking.

You can lower the risks of thyroid cancer by consulting a healthcare professional. Additionally, you should prioritise maintaining a healthy weight and reversing diabetic conditions, if applicable.