Anaplastic carcinoma (also called giant and spindle cell cancer) is the most dangerous form of thyroid cancer. It is rare and spreads quickly.
Usually, thyroid cancers are slow-growing. However, anaplastic cancer is a rare type of thyroid cancer that often spreads quickly into the neck and other parts of the body, and is very hard to treat.
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If neglected, any thyroid cancer may result in symptoms because of compression and infiltration of the tumour into the surrounding tissues. Commonly occurring symptoms are:
- Change of voice (nerve involvement)
- Breathing difficulty (trachea/windpipe involvement)
- Difficulty in swallowing (oesophagus /food pipe involvement)
Cancer may metastasize to other parts of the body, particularly the lungs and bone.
The cause of thyroid cancer is unknown, but certain risk factors have been identified, including a family history of goitre, exposure to high radiation levels, and certain hereditary syndromes.
