Demi Jones' Diagnosis
- Love Island star Demi Jones, 21, recently shared that after going through scans and surgery, she has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She will go through a second surgery to remove the entire thyroid gland.
- Jones noticed a lump on her neck a few months ago and pushed for doctors to run tests; a lump on the neck is the most common symptom of thyroid cancer.
- When caught early, thyroid cancer is easily treated. Surgery is the most common treatment option, and it will eliminate any remaining cancer cells once the tumor is removed.
Jones went through surgery in April after being told a lump on her neck may be a symptom of thyroid cancer. However, initially she was told by her doctors that the lump wasn't anything to worry about and she was "in the clear." Jones pushed for more tests since she inherently felt something was wrong with the lump. Turns out, Jones advocating for herself was the best possible decision she could have made.
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Since announcing her diagnosis, Jones says she’s been overwhelmed with messages of support from fans, friends, and fellow Love Island contestants. When facing a diagnosis, a supportive circle is a key resource to rely on.
Thyroid Cancer: The Breakdown
Thyroid cancer is cancer of the butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck. It's still unclear what causes the disease, but the most common sign of thyroid cancer is a lump at the base of the neck. However, other symptoms of the disease can be mistaken for a common cold such as a hoarse voice, other changes in the voice that do not resolve themselves, difficulty swallowing or difficulty breathing.
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People can get thyroid cancer at any age, but about two in three cases occur in people between the ages of 20 and 55; three out of four of these cases are in women. Anaplastic thyroid cancer is typically diagnosed in people over 60. When it comes to risk factors, family history can play a role.
Dr. Beth Karlan talks the importance of speaking up when you feel that something is wrong
When caught early, the disease is easy to treat. The most common treatment method is surgery, where the entire thyroid gland will be removed. This eliminates any remaining cancer cells that may be present after the tumor is removed, and increases the likelihood that you’ll enter remission. It’s not often that patients will need to go through additional treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation after the procedure.
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