Thyroid Cancer

Common info

Thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that lies adjacent to the windpipe and is responsible for producing the essential hormone for the body function. Most of the tumors found in this gland are adenocarcinoma, which is severe because they can rapidly spread all over the body.

History

Although the cause of thyroid cancer is still unknown, pets with iodine deficiency are likely more prone to the disease. The thyroid gland requires iodine to function well, so the lack of this chemical element can cause cancer to develop.

Description

Pets with thyroid tumors may not exhibit any signs of sickness. However, if such tumors compressed the trachea, pets may experience difficulty breathing and coughing. If compression occurs at the esophagus, there might be a showing of the swallowing problem.

Symptoms

Difficulty breathing
Difficulty swallowing
Weight loss
Hoarseness
Frequent urination

These symptoms are related to thyroid cancer in dogs and cats: a large lump, whether movable or not, at the trachea over larynx, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, weight loss, hoarseness, thirst, frequent urination, increased urination.

Treatment and Prevention

There is no specific treatment available for this condition. A surgery may perform with parts or the whole of the thyroid gland removed. Because the surgical area is often full of veins, the affected pet may experience excessive bleeding, which needs a transfusion of blood. Other approaches for the condition treatment include radiotherapy and chemotherapy, etc.

ACVS | Thyroid Tumors
Honestdocs | Adenocarcinoma Thyroid Cancer in Dogs
Petmd | Adenocarcinoma Thyroid
Petmd | Adenocarcinoma Thyroid
Barber, L. G. 2007. Thyroid Tumors in Dogs and Cats. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 37(4), 755–773.
Lee, J.-J., Larsson, C., Lui, W.-O., Höög, A., and Von Euler, H. 2006. A dog pedigree with familial medullary thyroid cancer. International Journal of Oncology. 29: 1173-1182.
Wucherer, K. L., and Wilke, V. 2010. Thyroid Cancer in Dogs: An Update Based on 638 Cases (1995–2005). Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 46(4), 249–254.

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