CAROLE Ingham was in the prime of her life when she was told she had a rare thyroid cancer.

The Bolton social worker was just 35 when she was told the devastating news that a swelling in her throat was cancer.

At the time, Carole, now aged 44, of Edgworth, tried to get in touch with other local people who had undergone thyroid surgery -- but discovered to her surprise there was no such group in the town.

Now, nine years later, Carole is running a thriving Bolton thyroid support branch and is a trustee of the British Thyroid Foundation.

She explained: "I remember wanting to speak to other people who had thyroid problems and there was very little support.

"I found out about the British Thyroid Foundation four to five years ago and I agreed to become a volunteer in setting up the Bolton branch.

"This was formed two years ago. It allows carers and patients to come together to talk about their problems and help each other."

Carole, a residential social worker for Bolton Council, has now been appointed a trustee for the BTF and travels the country attending seminars and conferences giving a patients' view on policy decisions.

She has come a long way from the first days when she first discovered an unusual lump in her neck.

Carole originally went to her GP after noticing the swelling in October 1992 and underwent blood tests before being referred to a consultant. She was first diagnosed as having a thyroid cyst, but later, while undergoing an operation on the cyst, the surgeon discovered other swellings which were taken away for further study.

Days later she was told she had follicular thyroid cancer and underwent radioactive iodine treatment to destroy thyroid tissue.

This meant she had to be in isolation for 10 days at The Christie Hospital, Manchester, because her high dose of radiotherapy could have been transmitted to other people.

Carole said: "It was a shock when I first discovered that I had cancer.

"But I had a very good surgeon at Bolton who talked me through all the treatment.

"I think this is what made it easier for me to cope.

"I had all the information explained to me and not everyone is so lucky. That is why I believe it is important to have these support groups locally, so that other sufferers can share their experiences and reduce the fear of the unknown."

Carole has been given the all-clear and now goes for check-ups to make sure that the disease has not returned every 12 months.

She will be on tablets for the rest of her life to replace the natural hormone that her body would usually produce.

About one in 20 people will suffer from thyroid problems at some stage in their life -- but not everyone will get cancer which is very rare.

Some people suffer from having an under active thyroid but the vast majority are hyperactive and are monitored by their GP. FACT FILE THE thyroid gland lies at the front of the neck just below the Adams apple.

It is an endocrine gland that produces hormones which influence the metabolism of all the body cells.

Symptoms are many and vary from patient to patient.

Thyroid cancer is very rare and effects only 900 people in the UK each year.

There are different types of thyroid cancer. The main two being differentiated papillary or follicular cancer .

The long-term outlook for these types of cancer are very good with cure rates between 80 to 95 per cent