Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 08/2023
ON THIS PAGE: You will find a drawing of the main body parts affected by thyroid cancer. Use the menu to see other pages.
The image is a drawing showing the location of the thyroid gland in the human body and the thyroid’s anatomy. The thyroid is located in the front of the neck. It has 2 lobes, 1 on each side of the neck, joined by a narrow strip of tissue called the isthmus, with a small pyramidal lobe above the isthmus. The right and left lobes each have 2 small parathyroid glands located at the back of the lobe, a superior (upper) and inferior (lower) gland, for a total of 4 parathyroid glands.
The next section in this guide is Risk Factors. It describes the factors that may increase the chance of developing thyroid cancer. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide.