The Neck Check: What You Need To Know About Your Thyroid Gland

How often do you rub your neck? It sounds like a silly question, but it's something Lynne Batten is glad she did. While rubbing her neck one day, she felt a lump, that turned out to be benign. Doctors at UAMS' Head and Neck Clinic diagnosed her with thyroid cancer.

"The first question I asked was 'Am I going to die,'" Batten says.

Thankfully for her, it was something doctors could surgically remove, and return Batten to her normal, active lifestyle.

"I was kind of anticipating a slowdown, but I haven't experienced it so I've been very lucky."

Dr. Brendan Stack, Director of UAMS' Head and Neck Oncology, says Batten had one of the most common, but also most benign thyroid cancers.

"As I tell my patients, if I had to pick a cancer, that's the one I'd pick."

Dr. Stack is hoping to educate more Arkansans about the thyroid, it's disorders and cancers and what can be done about them, at a free seminar Wednesday.

"I like to think of the thyroid as your body's thermostat. You know when it's set low, or when it's set high and although that's a very simple way of describing what the thyroid does, by acting as a thermostat, it regulates your body temperature, and body metabolism," Dr. Stack says.

He also notes, many people get the wrong idea about their thyroid when it comes to losing weight.

"It's one of the usual suspects if someone is gaining weight. But in fact many times the thyroid levels are normal."

And just like with breast cancer, there is a self exam for the thyroid.

"You can feel the front of your neck, and if you swallow when you feel the front of your neck, you'll feel the thyroid move up and down. And if you have a mass on your thyroid, it might make it palpate. The other thing is to go in front of a mirror and take some sips of water and watch what your thyroid does."

Some of the symptoms of thyroid problems include:
high heart rate
dry and scaly skin
weight loss or weight gain
hair loss

You can get more information about the thyroid, its disorders, symptoms and treatments at a free seminar Wednesday June 6, at 6:00 p.m. on the 12th floor of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute at UAMS. To reserve a spot, call (501) 686-8181.