- Of all the thyroid nodules diagnosed, only approximately 5% are cancerous.
- Clinically detectable thyroid carcinomas make up less than 1% of all human cancers.
- Thyroid cancer is the 6th most common cancer in women.
- In 2009 in the US that 5% is projected to be approximately 37,200 [27,200 women, 10,000 men]
- Of that number, 80% are projected to be papillary carcinomas or about 29,760.
- Of papillary carcinomas, the particular rare type i have [cystic] is found in 5-6% of the cases so roughly 1,786 people in the US this year.
- The overal survival rate at 10 years is 80-95%.
- 5-20% have local or regional recurrences in 5-10years
- 50-66% of patients with papillary carcinomas have metastasis to the lymph nodes
- 10-15% have distant metastasis, usually into the lungs and bones
With the odds i've been playing so far, these don't look so "good" to me!
**statistics pulled from the American Cancer Society, New England Journal of Medicine, & National Cancer Institue.**