Who Gets Thyroid Cancer?
Thyroid cancer affects women two to three times more than men. Besides what appears to be a hormonal or gender connection, the causes of thyroid cancer are, for the most part, not known. There is a link between people who received childhood radiation to the head and neck and an increased risk for thyroid cancer. In addition, exposure to nuclear radiation (such as happened during and after the Chernobyl nuclear accident) can also increase the risk of thyroid cancer fairly dramatically. Some forms of thyroid cancer also appear to be hereditary or genetic and run in families.
