This cancer forms in the thyroid gland, an organ at the base of the throat that makes hormones that help control heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and weight.
Four main types of thyroid cancer are papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic thyroid cancer. The four types are based on how the cancer cells look under a microscope.
SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Thyroid Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/thyro.html