What types of thyroid cancer are there?
tumor grows. Papillary cancer is the most common type, accounting for 60 to 70% of all thyroid cancers. About 2 to 3 times as many women as men have papillary cancer. Papillary cancer is more common in young people but grows and spreads more quickly in older people. People who have received radiation treatment to the neck, usually for a noncancerous condition in infancy or childhood or for some other cancer in adulthood, are at greater risk of developing papillary cancer. Papillary cancer grows within the thyroid gland but sometimes spreads (metastasizes) to nearby lymph nodes. If left untreated, papillary cancer may spread to more distant sites. Papillary cancer is almost always curable. Nodules smaller than ¾ inch are removed along with the thyroid tissue immediately surrounding them, although some experts recommend removing the entire thyroid gland. For larger nodules, most or all of the thyroid gland is usually removed. Radioactive iodine is often given to destroy any remaining thy
