Most people don’t know where the thyroid gland is located, but most people are not unfamiliar with “thick neck disease”, which is an enlarged thyroid gland, which tells us that the thyroid gland is located in the neck. To be more specific, the thyroid gland is located about 2 to 3 cm below the “laryngeal node” that we can touch ourselves, and can move up and down with it when we swallow something. The thyroid gland is the largest endocrine organ in the body and is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the lower part of the neck, including two lobes on each side of the trachea. The thyroid gland is connected by thyroid tissue in the middle, called the isthmus. What are the important roles of the thyroid gland in the human body? The thyroid gland’s main function is to produce thyroid hormones. The role of thyroid hormones in the human body is mainly manifested in three aspects: 1. promote growth and development especially in infancy, so congenital or early childhood lack of thyroid hormones, causing cretinism; 2. affect the body’s metabolism, and make the body produce heat, under normal circumstances to promote protein synthesis, is important for growth and development in early childhood. However, excessive secretion of thyroid hormone, on the contrary, causes protein, especially protein of skeletal muscle, to be decomposed in large quantities, and thus patients with hyperthyroidism will suffer from wasting and weakness.3. It is important for the activities of some organs and for maintaining the excitability of the nervous system. Thyroid hormones can act directly on the heart muscle, causing increased contractility and faster heart rate. How do I detect thyroid disease on my own? When you notice thickening or a lump in your neck, even if there are no uncomfortable symptoms, you should think about whether an enlarged thyroid gland or other thyroid disorders have occurred. At this time, you should go to the hospital promptly. Your doctor can usually tell you whether your thyroid gland is enlarged and whether there is a lump by palpating the thyroid gland. There are many different thyroid disorders, and those who have an enlarged thyroid gland or a swollen thyroid gland generally need further tests to determine the nature of the thyroid disorder, such as blood tests to check thyroid function and, if necessary, radionuclide and ultrasound examinations of the thyroid gland, or even cytology of the thyroid gland by a thyroid aspiration. What are the signs of thyroid cancer? (1) A nodular enlargement of the thyroid gland with the following conditions may be indicative of thyroid cancer: (1) A long-term nodular enlargement of the thyroid gland that is irregular in shape or has recently become rapidly enlarged and hardened. (2) The surrounding tissues are invaded, such as hoarseness and difficulty in breathing. (3) Those who have a history of diagnosis and treatment of radiation exposure to the head or neck, especially in adolescents, are more likely. (4) Those with significantly restricted movement of the mass during swallowing and basal fixation. (5) With hard cervical lymph nodes that are enlarged. The mass does not shrink with anti-infective treatment. (6) Those with prolonged diarrhea without thick bloody stools, often with facial flushing or multiple mucosal neuromas. (7) Thyroid nuclear imaging shows “cold nodules”. (8) Postoperative findings of incomplete envelope or adhesions to surrounding tissues. How to treat thyroid cancer? The treatment of thyroid cancer varies according to the type of pathology, the most common being papillary carcinoma, together with follicular carcinoma and medullary carcinoma, which account for more than 90% of all thyroid cancers. The treatment of these three types of cancer is a combination of early surgery and radiation therapy. If treated early, the results are often very good and most patients can survive for a long time or even be cured. However, the prognosis of undifferentiated carcinoma is poor, and the treatment is mainly based on radiation therapy, which often has poor results.