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Concern about thyroid cancer has been in the news lately since the 2011 tsunami in Japan caused nuclear power plants to malfunction and release radiation into the air and water—and with good reason.228 Although typically a rare cancer, the risk of thyroid cancer becomes much higher when exposed to this type of radiation.229 This was seen in people exposed to radiation during and following the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings and after the Chernobyl nuclear plant meltdown.229 The thyroid gland takes up iodine from the body in order to make the thyroid hormones T3 and T4. Because it cannot tell the difference between radioactive and stable forms of iodine, the thyroid will take up the radioactive iodine, store it, and use it for hormones. When the radioactive iodine decays it causes tissue and DNA damage that can lead to cancer. In the event of exposure from a nuclear plant leak or a nuclear bomb, taking potassium iodide can help block the uptake of radioactive iodine by saturating the thyroid and preventing the need to absorb any more iodine.221,230 A lump near the Adam’s apple in the neck could be a thyroid nodule. Although it will most likely turn out to be benign, a thyroid nodule is also the most common symptom of thyroid cancer.229 There are six different forms of thyroid cancer, each categorized by the thyroid cell type it develops in:229
Evidence of BenefitLab studies show that resveratrol suppresses papillary and follicular thyroid carcinomas as well as MTC tumor growth, probably by inducing cancer cell death. Although preliminary in nature, these results suggest that treatment with resveratrol may help improve the survival rate in this type of thyroid cancer.231-232 Both lab and animal studies demonstrate that resveratrol increases the uptake of radioactive iodide, which is used to treat follicular and papillary thyroid cancers. This is especially helpful in patients who have problems taking up iodine.233 In addition, animal studies show that resveratrol can help lower risk factors for thyroid cancer. This includes protection against the effects of radiation exposure and obesity, which are known risk factors for thyroid cancer.93,99,221,223,227 References:
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Thyroxine.
90-95% of lumps in the thyroid are non-cancerous for people under age 60.(229) |