Causes of thyroid cancer

Who is more likely to get thyroid cancer

Anyone can get thyroid cancer but it is more common in women.

Women are more likely to get it in their early 40s and men are more likely to get it in their 70s.

It's not always clear what causes it. You might be more likely to get it if:

• you're overweight or obese
• you have a condition that affects the thyroid such as a swollen thyroid (goitre), Hashimoto's disease or nodules (non-cancerous lumps) in or on your thyroid
• you have a close family member who has had thyroid cancer
• you were exposed to a lot of radiation or had radiotherapy treatment in the past, especially if it was when you were a child
• you've had certain cancers before such as breast cancer, oesophageal cancer, testicular cancer or non-Hodgkin lymphoma

How to lower your chance of getting thyroid cancer

You cannot always prevent thyroid cancer. But making healthy changes can lower your chances of getting it and other types of cancer.