We don’t fully understand what causes thyroid cancer, but research is going on all the time to try to find the answer. We know that some things (called risk factors) increase our chance of developing cancer, but this doesn’t mean we’ll definitely get cancer.
genes
Genes are the information we inherit from our parents. They affect the way our body develops and how we look (like the colour of our hair and eyes). Inheriting a faulty gene from your parents can increase your risk of thyroid cancer slightly. But less than 1 in 10 cases of cancer are caused by an inherited faulty gene.
rare conditions
There are also some rare diseases and conditions that run in families (genetic conditions). These can increase the chances of someone developing thyroid cancer.
radiotherapy
It’s also thought that people who have had radiotherapy as a young child may be at a higher risk of developing thyroid cancer many years later.
It’s important to remember that thyroid cancer in young people can be successfully treated- and most young people are completely cured.
