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Former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi was diagnosed with thyroid cancer shortly after her departure from office earlier this year and is receiving treatment, according to a source familiar with her condition.Bondi, 60, was fired by President Donald Trump in April but is set to return to the Trump administration to serve on an advisory committee on artificial intelligence policy as she battles cancer.Thyroid cancer results from malignant cells growing in a person’s thyroid gland, the butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck that makes hormones, according to Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic. These hormones regulate how your body uses energy, including metabolism, heart rate and blood pressure.Thyroid diseases are common among older people and women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What causes thyroid cancer?It's not always clear what causes the DNA changes that result in thyroid cancer, Mayo Clinic notes, but there are certain risk factors to be aware of, including:Sex, since thyroid cancer occurs more often in women than in menRadiation exposureCertain inherited genetic syndromesFamily history of thyroid cancer, obesity and low iodine intake are also risk factors, Cleveland Clinic adds.Thyroid cancer symptomsWhile most thyroid cancers don't cause any signs early on, according to the Mayo Clinic, as the cancer grows, symptoms may include:Changes to your voice, including increasing hoarsenessDifficulty swallowingSwollen lymph nodes in your neckPain in your neck and throatA lump in your neckThese lumps in the neck are called thyroid nodules, Cleveland Clinic explains, but says not to panic if you feel one. "Most nodules aren’t cancer. Only about 1 out of 10 thyroid nodules turns out to be cancerous."Thyroid cancer treatmentTreatment options for thyroid cancer include surgery, radioiodine therapy and targeted therapy.Surgery is the most common treatment, Cleveland Clinic notes, which may include full or partial removal of the thyroid gland.Most thyroid cancers are permanently curable with treatment."This is especially the case if the cancer hasn’t spread to distant parts of your body," the clinic adds. "Treating thyroid cancer in the early stages reduces the risk of cancer spread."
