Thyroid cancer begins in the thyroid gland. It starts when the thyroid cells start to grow beyond control. The thyroid gland makes hormones that help regulate your body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and metabolism. It is located in the front area of the neck, under the thyroid cartilage, which is commonly known as the Adam’s apple.

The various types of thyroid cancer are distinguished based on their appearance. They inspect the thyroid cells under a microscope. They are identified depending on how they grow.

1. Papillary cancer
Also referred to as papillary adenocarcinoma or papillary carcinomas (PTC), around eight out of ten cases belong to this type. These types of cancers tend to develop gradually and usually grow in any one lobe of the thyroid gland. Even though they develop at a gradual rate, these cancers circulate to the neck’s lymph nodes. However, even after spreading to the lymph nodes, papillary cancer is cured successfully and is rarely fatal.

Papillary cancer has various subtypes. The most common subtype is the follicular subtype. It is also known as mixed papillary-follicular. It has the same prognosis as the standard form of papillary cancer and can be cured when detected at an early stage. The other subtypes are not very common and tends to develop and spread in a much faster manner.

2. Follicular cancer
After papillary cancer, follicular cancer is the second most common thyroid cancer type. One out ten thyroid cancer patients are affected by this. This thyroid cancer type is more common in nations where people do not get sufficient iodine in their meals. Follicular cancer does not circulate to the lymph nodes. However, it circulates to various other parts of the body such as the bones or lungs.

3. Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC)
MTC comprises around 4% of thyroid cancers. It grows from the thyroid gland’s C cells, which make calcitonin. It is a hormone that helps manage the calcium proportion in blood. However, occasionally this cancer can circulate to the liver, lungs, or lymph nodes even prior to a thyroid nodule being discovered. There are two types of MTC: sporadic MTC and familial MTC.

Sporadic MTC accounts for eight out of ten cases. It is not inherited and is commonly found in older adults. Familial MTC, on the other hand, is inherited with 20% to 25% of cases detected in every generation of a family. It often develops during one’s early adulthood or childhood and can spread quickly.

4. Anaplastic thyroid cancer
This rare type of thyroid cancer accounts for around 2% of thyroid cancers. It sometimes develops from a current follicular or papillary cancer. It is also known as undifferentiated thyroid cancer because the cancer cells do not appear very much like the regular thyroid cells. This cancer circulates to the neck and other areas of the body and is quite difficult to treat.

5. Less common types
The other less common types of thyroid cancer include thyroid sarcomas, thyroid lymphomas, and Hurthle cell cancer.