PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Thyroid cancer is the fastest growing cancer in the United States, and it's being diagnosed more often in younger patients. Previous data found the age group seeing the largest increase was white, teenagegirls. But the most recent study shows it crosses all genders and races. Since this is a cancer that has few early symptoms, experts say it's especially important that parents know what to look out for.
The McCarthy kids are always moving, especially four-year old Chloe. That's why her parents never suspected something was wrong until two years ago.
"Well actually, my husband was playing with her, like you do a normal one and a half year old. Dip them upside down, bring them back, and when he pulled her up, her head was back and he saw the lump in her neck," Chloe's mother, Lauren McCarthy told Ivanhoe.
Images showed Chloe's one thyroid gland was three times its normal size. It was cancer. Doctors removed all of the thyroid tissue.
Doctor Andrew Bauer says thyroid cancer in kids under 10 is rare, about five cases per every million, but at age 15, those numbers jump to 18 per million.
"In adolescents, it's actually quite similar to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which many people have heard of before," Andrew Bauer, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinologist and Medical Director of the Thyroid Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia explained to Ivanhoe.
Experts say most parents aren't aware that thyroid cancer can and does strike kids.
"They don't have any pain. They don't have weight loss," said Dr. Bauer.
Doctors say parents should check kids for swelling or lumps in the neck. Don't skip routine check-ups, where doctors will examine neck glands.
Chloe McCarthy is cancer-free. Her parents are happy they can put this behind them.
"It's not something that we thought to look for," McCarthy said, "It's nice to keep an eye on everything on your child."
Doctor says with early diagnosis and treatment kids have a 95-percent chance of surviving thyroid cancer. Experts aren't sure why there has been an increase in thyroid cancers, but they say previous exposure to radiation is a risk factor.
Blood tests or ultrasound can sometimes detect changes in the thyroid, but experts say those are not recommended unless the physical exam is abnormal or a patient is at high risk, possibly because another family member has had thyroid cancer.