Your Thyroid gland is located at the base of your neck, and like other glands, it produces hormones that keep your body going, regulating things like your metabolism and your heart rate. When someone develops a lump on their thyroid gland, often it is benign (non-cancerous) but occasionally it's malignant (cancerous) and the patient requires treatments for Thyroid Cancer. Fortunately, the prognosis is good for those with Thyroid Cancer.

Symptoms
As mentioned, the most common symptom of Thyroid Cancer is the discovery of a lump at the base of your neck. Other symptoms include pain in that area, difficulty breathing, changes in voice (including horseness), difficulty swallowing and/or swollen lymph nodes. However, these symptoms can be a sign of something else -- an infection, for example -- so people should not panic if they find they have these symptoms.

Cancer is named from the place it originates. This makes a difference on what type of treatments will be effective. Being diagnosed with cancer of the unknown primary (CUP) means that cancer has been found in the body but the place of origin is unknown.

If later, the place of origin is found then the type of cancer diagnosis changes from an unknown primary to the specific organ or body area that the disease first began.

Some cases of cancer of the unknown primary are unfortunately never found. Physicians will then decide on the best course of treatment based on two factors: The way the cells look under the microscope and which organs are currently involved.

Statistics and Prognosis:

The exact number of cases of this disease is not known. It may be about 2% to 5% of all cancers in the United States. It is found more often among men than among women. The average age of people with this cancer is about 60 years.

This is a very dangerous cancer. Only half of patients will live 9 to 12 months after their cancer is found. There are several reasons why this cancer is so serious. First, most of these are fast-spreading cancers. Second, because the exact type is not known, it is harder for doctors to know what treatment is best. Also, the cancer is often widespread, making it harder to cure.

In recent years, microscopic and other diagnostic techniques have improved dramatically. For this reason, doctors can now determine the primary site in about four out of five cases.

October 30, 2006 marked the launch of our series Cancer by the Numbers. Our intention was to give individual attention to each and every cancer, to raise awareness of the multitude of cancerous diseases that seem to consume our population, to answer questions and pose questions, and to initiate discussion among readers. I think we are accomplishing what we set out to do. Still, we have a lot of ground to cover. Since that October day last year, we have featured 13 different cancers. That's a lot. And not a lot, when you consider how many different strains of one disease really exist.

I am writing today to reaffirm our commitment to Cancer by the Numbers. These posts will appear at least twice per month -- so be on the lookout. Until the next one appears, though, take a look back at what we have to offer in one of our most comprehensive and researched Cancer Blog series. Here they are:

Cancer by the Numbers: Basal Cell Carcinoma
Cancer by the Numbers: Osteosarcoma
Cancer by the Numbers: Hodgkin's Disease
Cancer by the Numbers: Gallbladder Cancer
Cancer by the Numbers: Glioblastoma Multiforme
Cancer by the Numbers: Melanoma
Cancer by the Numbers: Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Cancer by the Numbers: Liver Cancer
Cancer by the Numbers: Rhabdomyosarcoma
Cancer by the Numbers: Cervical Cancer
Cancer by the Numbers: Pancreatic Cancer
Cancer by the Numbers: Lung Cancer
Cancer by the Numbers: Testicular Cancer

If there's a cancer you'd like to see covered sooner rather than later, please leave us a comment and let us know.

My sister has skin cancer -- the basal cell variety. She has two spots, both on her chest, each one scheduled to be surgically removed in a few weeks. If it were me with this new diagnosis, I'm sure I'd be freaking out, maybe because I've already had breast cancer and tend to panic about any cancer or maybe just because I'm a worrier by nature. But my sister is taking her cancer news in stride, and I am too -- because now that I've done a little research, it seems this type of cancer is pretty easy to beat.

Here's a little refresher lesson on the skin: The skin is the largest organ in the body, and is made of three layers -- the epidermis (top layer), dermis (middle layer), and subcutis (deepest layer). For the purpose of this post, let's focus on the epidermis.

The epidermis has three layers -- an upper, middle, and a bottom layer. This bottom layer is comprised of basal cells. This is where basal cell cancer begins.

Overview of osteosarcoma:

There are about 900 new cases of osteosarcoma diagnosed in the US each year. About 400 occur in children and adolescents younger than 20 years of age.

Osteosarcoma forms in the bones. It is most commonly diagnosed in those who are 15 to 25 years of age. It is also the most common type of bone cancer, and the sixth most common type of cancer in children.

Other types of cancer can eventually metastasize to the bone, however this disease originates in the bone and can spread elsewhere to other parts of the body.

Many cases of osteosarcoma, around 80 percent, begin in or around the knee area.

What are the risks of osteosarcoma?

The disease is most seen in boys and can arise from unpredictable errors in the DNA of growing bone cells during times of intense bone growth. Currently, there is no effective way to prevent this type of cancer but with proper treatment most kids diagnosed with osteosarcoma do recover.

Though it's believed my dad died of lung cancer that had spread to the rest of his body (he was a non-smoker by the way), he was initially diagnosed with Lymphoma. I spent the days following his diagnosis furiously googling Lymphoma, look for a prognosis, and more importantly, hope. I learned a lot about Lymphoma in those few days, though knowledge didn't help in my case, but it might in yours.

There are two types on Lymphoma -- Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's. I'm going to talk about Hodgkin's, since Kristina covered a form on non-Hodgkin's a little while ago.

In August, it will be one year since I wrote about Lynne, a woman with gallbladder cancer and not a whole lot of information about the disease. There is so little current news on the topic, in fact, that in the archives of all Cancer Blog posts, there is only one about this type of cancer. It's my post about Lynne.

Lynne was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer in May 2006 and just a few months later started publishing her blog.

"I was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, a rare and aggressive form of cancer with a poor prognosis," Lynne wrote right away. "Information was hard to find, and I want to chronicle my experiences, to share what I have learned about this diagnosis and its physical and emotional implications. I also want to explore the spiritual implications of receiving a life threatening diagnosis."

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), also known as a grade IV astrocytoma, is the most common and most aggressive type of primary brain tumor. Although GBM can occur at any age, the disease is most commonly diagnosed after the age of 50.

I wanted to discuss this type of cancer and add it to the Cancer by the Numbers feature because it has directly affected my family. My 39-year-old uncle died of the disease in 1987. He only survived a year after diagnosis. It is disheartening that this disease has not seen any strides in improved survival rates over all these years.

The Numbers

GBM accounts for 52 percent of all primary brain tumor cases. Brain tumors account for one in every 100 cancers diagnosed annually in the United States. Most malignant brain tumors and brain cancers have spread from other tumors in the body to the skull, including cancers of the breast and lung, malignant melanoma and blood cell cancers.

We're still basking in the hot sun, bronzing our bodies in tanning beds, and playing outdoors without slathering on the sunscreen. What will it take, I wonder, for our society to catch on, to take real steps toward preventing skin cancer?

It seems education isn't enough. Most of us know by now all it takes is one bad sunburn to increase our risk of skin cancer, yet we continue to collect burn after burn after burn. Perhaps like all habit-forming behaviors -- think smoking -- it takes something tragic in our lives to inspire change. When someone we know gets lung cancer after a lifetime of smoking or someone we know develops melanoma after years of sunbathing, maybe we get the hint. Maybe

Now, I know you don't personally know this young woman -- she calls herself Miss Melanoma -- but I suggest you read her story. And I recommend you take what happened to her -- she lost part of her foot to melanoma and is currently battling a spread of the disease -- and allow it to really sink in, allow it to motivate you to take cover from the sun, before something like this happens to you. Because it can.

Mantle cell is a rare type of lymphoma that accounts for about 1 in 20 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphomas and about 3300 people are diagnosed in the United States per year. It is a cancer of the B-lymphocytes in the portion of lymph nodes called the mantle zone or outer edge of the lymph node. There are different patterns of mantle cell lymphoma that can be seen under the microscope: mantle zone, nodular, diffuse and blastic. The mantle zone type may be slow growing and very responsive to standard chemotherapy, unlike the other types. This type of lymphoma frequently spreads to the bone marrow and is not as responsive to chemotherapy as other types of lymphomas. Mantle cell lymphoma can occur at any age from the late 30's to old age, but is more common in people over 50. It is three times more common in men than in women.

The first signs of this disease is often painless swelling in the neck, armpit or groin, caused by enlarged lymph nodes. Often more than one group of nodes is affected. The lymphoma may spread to various organs in the body such as bone marrow, liver or spleen. About 1 in 4 people will have the disease also appear in the stomach or bowel. Some other symptoms include loss of appetite, tiredness, night sweats, unexplained high temperatures and weight loss.

Diagnosis is made by removing an enlarged lymph node and having it biopsied. Additional tests such as x-rays, scans and bone marrow samples are used to get more information about the type of lymphoma and how far it has spread within the body. This information is helpful in deciding what treatment is most appropriate.

Almost 19,000 cases of primary liver cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year according to The American Cancer Society. This type of cancer is twice as common in men as in women. Over 16,000 patients will die of their liver cancer by the end of 2006.

The liver is responsible for many vital roles in our body. It plays an important role in removing toxic waste, stores many nutrients absorbed from the intestines and can also make some of the clotting factors needed to stop bleeding from an injury. The liver is made up of several different types of cells. The tumors that develop in the liver can either be benign or cancerous. Benign tumors of the liver include hemangioma, hepatic adenomas and focal nodular hyperplasia.

The most common form of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma. It begins in the main type of liver cell and three out of four patients diagnosed with primary liver cancer are of this type. A type of liver cancer that is rare but has a better prognosis than other forms of liver cancer is called fibrolamellar liver cancer. Cholangiocarcinomas, another form of liver cancer is usually treated the same as hepatocellular carcinoma.

Many times when the cancer is found in the liver it did not begin there but is metastasis from another primary tumor in the body. These tumors are not considered primary liver cancer and are not treated as such, they will be treated based on where the primary tumor began. If you have metastasis to the liver from lung cancer you will still be treated with drugs that kill lung cancer tumors.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a type of soft tissue cancer that is most often found in children. This cancer will usually present itself as a noticeable lump. Since this is a cancer made up of cells that normally develop into skeletal muscles, the lump can appear in different locations of the body. Although most of our skeletal muscles are in our limbs and truck, it is usually found elsewhere.

The most common sites that rhabdomyosarcoma tumors are found:

• Head and Neck (30%-40%)
• Urinary and Reproductive Organs (20%-25%)
• Arms and Legs (18%-20%)
• Truck (7%)

There are two main types of rhabdomyosarcomas that occur in children, embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. The embryonal type (ERMS) is the most common type and usually occurs in infants and young children. The alveolar type (ARMS) usually effects older children and teenagers. Embryonal has a better prognosis than alveolar, which is a more aggressive tumor type.

About 3 percent of childhood cancers are diagnosed as rhabdomyosarcoma. In the United States about 350 new cases arise each year. It is the most common type of sarcoma occurring in the soft tissues, which is tissue that lies between the skin and the bone. It is the sixth most common cancer in children.

The researchers say there are no known environmental risk factors that cause rhabdomyosarcoma. There are some inherited conditions that can increase the risk of developing rhabdomyosarcoma but these are only a small fraction of those diagnosed. L-Fraumeni syndrome, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, neurofibromatosis and Costello syndrome are inherited conditions that are known to lead to different forms of cancer. This information gives the researchers of this disease some key knowledge in understanding the disease and points them in the direction of a genetic cause for this type of cancer.

Cervical cancer was once the most common cancer in women. But between 1955 and 1992, the number of cervical cancer deaths dropped by 74 percent -- thanks to increased use of the Pap test, a screening tool that can find changes in the cervix before cancer develops and can also detect cancer in its most curable stage. The Pap test is still widely used. And the cervical cancer death rate continues to drop four percent every year.

In 2006, about 9,700 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. About 3,700 women will die from the disease. Non-invasive cervical cancer is believed to be four times more common than the invasive form of the disease. Nearly all of these cases can be cured.

Cervical cancer typically occurs in women between the ages of 35 and 55 and rarely in women under the age of 20. It affects mostly Hispanic women, and African-American women develop the disease 50 percent more often than non-Hispanic white women. Women most as risk for cervical cancer are smokers, those with HIV or chlamydia infections, those with diets low in fruit and vegetable consumption, those who between 1940 and 1971 took the hormonal drug DES, and those who have taken oral contraceptives for extended periods of time. Women who have had multiple pregnancies, have a family history of the disease, and have a low socio-economic status are also at risk. Those most at risk, however, are women with human papilloma virus.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the most common risk factor for cervical cancer, and some experts believe a woman must have HPV to contract cervical cancer. There are 100 different types of HPV, 13 of which are likely to cause cervical cancer through sexual contact. There are usually no symptoms of HPV, but possible signs of cervical cancer can include vaginal bleeding, unusual discharge, pelvic pain, and pain during sexual intercourse.

There are two ways to stop cervical cancer. First, women can protect themselves against HPV. Protection comes in the form of delaying sexual activity, limiting the amount of sexual partners and their partners, using condoms (thought to be 70 percent effective) and receiving the cervical cancer vaccine, recommended for use in females ages 11-26. The vaccine is most effective for women who have never been sexually active. Second, women can receive regular Pap tests in order to catch pre-cancers. Pap tests are recommended for women three years after their first sexual encounter and before the age of 21 -- and then every year after that.

An abnormal Pap test typically prompts a colposcopy -- a technique that uses a scope to examine the cervix. Diagnosis usually stems from a combination of other scoping methods, pelvic exams, imaging tests, and biopsies used to confirm the presence of cancer and to stage the disease. Stages range from 0-4.

For non-invasive cervical cancer, surgery -- ranging from removal of the cancerous tissue to hysterectomy -- may be the only treatment necessary. For invasive forms of the cancer, surgery is often followed by radiation and chemotherapy. Women interested in preserving their fertility should discuss options with their physicians.

The state of cervical cancer has come a long way over the years. And this year, two critical developments emerged. In June 2006, the FDA approved the first drug for late-stage cervical cancer. The drug, Hycamtin, is recommended for use in combination with chemotherapy. Also is June, the cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil, was released. Both developments are monumental -- and both will undoubtedly help decrease the already-dropping cervical cancer death rate.

For more information about cervical cancer, visit the following sites:

American Cancer Society
Mayo Clinic
Medline Plus
National Women's Health Information Center

My mom's best friend died from pancreatic cancer just three months after her diagnosis with the disease. One of my co-workers lost her mother to the same disease just weeks after diagnosis. Another co-worker's husband lost his battle with pancreatic cancer after a 15-month all-out fight. And a family friend has somehow been surviving this deadly disease for years now. He's the exception, defying the odds rarely in favor of long-term survival.

About 33,730 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2006. Many of them -- 32,300 -- will die from the disease that is rarely caught early. Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

In 2006, 174,470 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States. About 92,700 men and 81,770 women will develop the disease -- the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women.

An estimated 162,460 men and women will die of lung cancer this year, accounting for 28 percent of all cancer deaths and taking more lives than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. While most people diagnosed with lung cancer will die within the first two years of diagnosis -- this has not changed in 10 years -- some people are cured. There are currently about 333,000 long-term survivors.