Thyroid Cancer Myths & Truths Awareness #TruthAboutTC

Cancer: few words cause greater fear. People diagnosed with thyroid cancer are commonly told if they are going to get cancer, thyroid cancer is the one to have, because it can often be successfully treated.  The truth is, there is no such thing as a “good cancer”; all cancers can have a significant impact on a person’s life, beginning with the shock and distress of hearing the word “cancer” at diagnosis.

Thyroid cancer has very real physical and emotional effects on patients long after treatment:

·         Patients who have their thyroid removed as part of their cancer treatment must take hormone replacement medication for the rest of their lives.

·         Most thyroid cancers grow slowly and can recur in up to 30% of patients even 10 to 20 years after initial treatment, follow-up care is needed to check for cancer recurrence or spread, as well as monitoring/management for possible side effects of certain treatments.

·         Together, treatment-related effects and the emotional impact of the disease can cause some patients to experience ongoing challenges, including lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, weight gain, memory loss, migraines and depression.

It is the misperceptions surrounding thyroid cancer that prompted The Light of Life Foundation, ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc., and Eisai Inc. to join together to dispel the myth that thyroid cancer is the “good cancer” and shine a light on the truths about the life-changing realities of the disease through the Myths and Truths About Thyroid Cancer campaign.  The campaign, which recently kicked-off, includes an interactive #TruthAboutTC social challenge, asking people to post a photo on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the hashtag #TruthAboutTC and tag friends to participate. For each post, Eisai will donate $1 up to a total of $50,000 to the Light of Life Foundation and ThyCa.

You can check out Myths and Truths About Thyroid Cancer for more information