The risk increases with age, the average patient is 50 years old. Thyroid cancer is rare in people younger than 30. Thyroid cancer is more common in people of Asian extraction,and the number of cases has Increased worldwide over the past decade. Like any cancer, why any one person develops the disease and another does not remains unknown. It the pituitary gland in the brain makes too much TSH, then the thyroid will enlarge.
Goiters can be present at birth or develop later in life.
Iodine is necessary for the the thyroid to make it's hormones and with iodine insuff iciencency, a goiter will develop as the brain tries to stimulate the thyroid to make it's crucial hormones. In general, having a goiter increases the risk of thyroid cancer. While any growing nodule in the thyroid is suspicious for cancer, most are benign. Radiation Exposure is a risk factor for developing thyroid cancer. Radiation causes changes in the genes of the thyroid cells, and increases the chance for nodules.