According to figures from Public Health France, 10,665 new cases of thyroid cancer, including 2,600 in men and 8,065 in women, were reported for the year 2018. This disease of the thyroid cells develops from “of an initially normal cell which transforms and multiplies in an anarchic way, until it forms a malignant tumor“, details the National Cancer Institute.
At five years, the net survival rate after treatment is 93% for men and 97% for women. What are the symptoms of thyroid cancer? As detailed by the National Cancer Institute, it most often manifests itself by the presence of a nodule.This nodule is usually painless and not bothersome. In some cases, it can change the voice, which then becomes hoarse. It can also be responsible for the formation of a goiter.“
Loose stools
While this sign is relatively well recognized, the NHS (the English health service) warns that there may be another symptom of the disease. As the Mirror reports, frequent loose stools could be a sign of a rare type of thyroid cancer, called medullary thyroid cancer.Diarrhea is considered an indirect symptom because it is not usually the defining symptom of thyroid cancer. Rather, it may be an indirect consequence of the disease, although the exact mechanism is not fully understood, but some factors play a role.”explains Dr Sara Mesilhy, a gastroenterologist at the Royal College of Physicians.
She specifies that “Hormonal imbalance caused by thyroid cancer disrupts the body’s normal mechanisms, particularly those affecting the gastrointestinal system, leading to changes in bowel habits, including diarrhea“. Generally, an assessment is carried out by the medical team between 6 and 12 months after radioactive iodine treatment to determine the response to the treatments put in place.
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