About This Booklet

This National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet is for you— someone who has just been diagnosed with cancer of the thyroid.

In 2012, more than 43,000 women and 13,000 men will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer in the United States. Most will be older than 45.

Learning about medical care for thyroid cancer can help you take an active part in making choices about your care. This booklet tells about…

• Diagnosis and staging
• Treatment
• Follow-up care
• Taking part in research studies

You can read this booklet from front to back. Or you can read only the sections you need right now.

This booklet has lists of questions that you may want to ask your doctor. Many people find it helpful to take a list of questions to a doctor visit. To help remember what your doctor says, you can take notes. You may also want to have a family member or friend go with you when you talk with the doctor—to take notes, ask questions, or just listen.