Brooke Burke Announces Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis

Actress and Dancing with the Stars co-host Brooke Burke-Charvet announced this week she has thyroid cancer. The 41-year-old mother of four says she will have a thyroidectomy, or surgery to remove her thyroid.

Thyroid cancer is cancer that occurs in the thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland located in the throat just under the “Adam’s apple.” The thyroid gland is responsible for producing, storing and secreting hormones that regulate functions within the body.

Cancer occurs when a mass of abnormal cells grow within or on the thyroid gland.

There are few known risk factors for thyroid cancer, but previous radiation to the chest/neck area has been shown to increase a person’s chance of developing thyroid cancer.

Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center has one of the largest thyroid cancer program on the East Coast.

Thyroid Nodules and The Penn Thyroid Cancer

More than 12 million Americans have thyroid nodules that require medical evaluation. In addition, the annual incidence of thyroid cancer is rapidly rising and its rate of increase outpaces that of all other malignancies. This year, it is estimated that over 45000 Americans will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which afflicts women three times more than men.

Susan Mandel, MD, director of clinical endocrinology and diabetes at Penn, developed the first thyroid nodule clinic in the country, and developed the thyroid nodule clinic – the nation’s second – at Penn. The thyroid nodule clinic at Penn is the only clinic of its kind in the tri-state area and has an on-site pathologist, providing patients with rapid diagnoses – sometimes the same day.

The Penn Thyroid Center specializes in evaluating, diagnosing and treating patients with both thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer

Patients at Penn also have access to clinical trials for thyroid cancer and thyroid disorders.

Penn is the only center using dosimetry for thyroid cancer patients. Dosimetry is an instrument that measures the dose of x-rays or other radiation absorbed by matter or the intensity of a source of radiation

Treatment for Thyroid Cancer

Surgery to remove cancer may be the central component of treatment, depending on the stage of the cancer. The entire thyroid or part of the thyroid may be removed.

After surgery, patients may require radiation therapy, radioactive iodine therapy or thyroid hormone therapy.

For more information about thyroid cancer, visit the 2012 Focus On Thyroid Conference media hub. There you can view presentations from internationally recognized thyroid cancer about thyroid nodule evaluation, thyroid cancer diagnosis and thyroid cancer treatment.