News 2023

The "thyroid project" of Fondazione ANT is part of the prevention initiatives promoted by Metal Work.
The project will start in June with 5 dates, and will continue until the end of the year and if necessary beyond.
During the visit a specialist ANT doctor, after ultrasound examination, will carry out a non-invasive check and give an immediate response.

What is the thyroid

The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland, located in the anterior region of the neck and consists of two lobes, right and left, joined by a narrow bridge called isthmus. It has a follicular structure and has two endocrine components that produce:

• thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), stored in the follicles
• calcitonin, produced by C or parafollicular cells

Thyroid hormones are responsible for regulating many functions of the body including metabolism, heart rate and body temperature while calcitonin regulates bone resorption. The production of hormones is regulated by the release of another hormone, the TSH (or thyroid stimulating hormone) produced by the pituitary gland, placed in the brain. In case of illness, the hormone is produced in excess (we speak of hyperthyroidism) or vice versa in deficient quantities (hypothyroidism).

Thyroid cancer

In the course of life the thyroid gland can undergo pathological processes on an inflammatory basis (thyroiditis), degenerative (goiter) and, although more rarely, neoplastic (tumors). Thyroid tumors are divided into:

• papillary adenocarcinomas (more than 75% of cases)
• follicular adenocarcinomas (about 15%)
• medullary carcinomas ( less than 5% of cases)
• anaplastic carcinomas (less than 1% of thyroid carcinomas)

The incidence of thyroid cancer, currently estimated in Italy of about 3,600 cases/ year, is growing significantly and this phenomenon is attributed to the increased number of early diagnosis that is obtained with the use of ultrasound. On the other hand, luckily, mortality is very low and tends to decrease because more than 90% of thyroid tumors heal with the treatments put in place. Women are more affected than men in the proportion of four to one.

Prevention of thyroid cancer

The most common symptom is the appearance of a nodule. However, not all thyroid nodules are tumors, they are often a sign of inflammatory (thyroiditis) and degenerative (goiter) processes. It is estimated that less than 5% of thyroid nodules actually hide a tumor. When it reaches a certain volume the thyroid nodule, unique or multiple, is appreciable to the objective examination, but often it is not visible, nor palpable even during an exam of an expert doctor.

ANT Foundation has launched a secondary prevention campaign against thyroid cancer. Through ultrasound examination it is possible to identify and locate non-palpable nodules. The incidence in the normal population of clinically not appreciable thyroid nodules, detectable by ultrasound examination, is high, varying in published cases from 20% to 76%. In most cases non-palpable nodules have benign ultrasound characteristics, run asymptomatic and require only control over time. In other cases the ultrasound characteristics recommend diagnostic deepenings with tests that include:

• Acuaspiration for cytological examination
• Dosage of thyroid hormones
• Thyroid scintigraphy for functional evaluation of the nodule and thyroid gland.

Not infrequently these findings, although excluding the presence of tumors, show a state of reduction or excess of the function of the thyroid gland that can be restored with appropriate medical therapy.