This year was a big one for cancer treatment.

The radiation risk is clearly defined for Japan, but is there a risk for the rest of the world, including the west coast of the United States? Fortunately for the United States, its distance from Japan will dilute most radiation coming from the Japanese nuclear power plants. Even if the radiation was caught up in the fast moving jet stream, your thyroid is safe.

With so much of the medical-news spotlight devoted to heart disease, cancer and mental health, who gives much thought to the thyroid, that little butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck?