At this time, there are no generally accepted recommendations
for reducing your risk of thyroid cancer. Medullary thyroid
cancer often is genetically inherited. If anyone in your family
has been diagnosed with medullary or other endocrine cancers or
if your family is known to carry a mutation (abnormal change) in
the RET gene, you may wish to be tested to see if you have this
mutation. Medullary thyroid cancers may be part of syndromes
that involve other types of endocrine or other cancers, thus a
careful family history for cancer is important. If you carry the
RET gene, you may be advised to have your thyroid removed at a
very early age to avoid the very high risk of developing
medullary thyroid cancer. This content is reviewed regularly and
is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available.
This information is neither intended nor implied to be a
substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the
advice of your physician or other qualified health provider
prior to starting any new treatme