Thyroid Cancer Survivors Association

What Thyroid Cancer Survivors Association does

ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1995 by thyroid cancer survivors following Ric Blake's diagnosis, and incorporated in Maryland in March 1999 with tax-exempt status granted in January 2000 (Tax ID #52-2169434). The organization provides free education, peer support, and patient resources to the global thyroid cancer community across all disease subtypes, including papillary/follicular, medullary, anaplastic, and pediatric thyroid cancer, plus caregivers and medical professionals.

The service portfolio consists of a 600+ page educational website available in 12 languages, seven published handbooks (including disease-specific guides and a Low-Iodine Diet Cookbook), the Low-Iodine Diet mobile and web application, 60+ local face-to-face support groups across the United States and internationally, 9 email support listservs, an 18-group ThyCa/Inspire online community, a Person-to-Person one-to-one matching network, and the annual International Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Conference (29th edition scheduled for October 2026 in Cary, North Carolina). Underlying technology is a content-managed website on thyca.org, a Firebase-hosted web app at low-iodine.web.app, and the third-party Inspire community platform, all delivered free to end users and supported by a 300+ volunteer base and a Medical Advisory Council of 50+ world-recognized thyroid cancer specialists.

Revenue is generated entirely through individual donations, organizational donations, membership dues, and unrestricted educational grants, with all services provided free of charge. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: peer support networks, local support groups, email groups, person-to-person matching, the annual conference, and Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month activities in September reach patients across the United States, Honduras, Canada, the Philippines, and globally through virtual channels. Strategic partnerships with the American Thyroid Association, American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, AACR, AACE, and The Endocrine Society support research grant peer review, advocacy, and educational programming, with 100% of donated research funds passed through to research.

Name

Thyroid Cancer Survivors Association

Legal name

ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc.

Website

https://thyca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ThyCa is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1995 that provides free education, peer support, and multilingual resources to thyroid cancer patients, caregivers, and medical professionals worldwide through support groups, online communities, publications, and an annual international conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Patient Advocacy and Survivorship Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Thyroid Disorders (HLAKADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

Keywords

• Thyroid cancer support
• Patient advocacy services
• Cancer survivor education
• Peer support groups
• Nonprofit health resources

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Voluntary donations from individuals, primarily thyroid cancer survivors, family members, and supporters. Primary funding source.
2. Organizational Donations: Contributions from organizations supporting thyroid cancer research and patient education.
3. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from supporters wishing to become formal members of the organization.
4. Unrestricted Educational Grants: Unrestricted grants from organizations for educational purposes. Stated to not create conflicts of interest or influence content.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ThyCa provides free education, support, and resources to thyroid cancer patients, caregivers, and families worldwide. Core deliverables include multilingual downloadable handbooks for every major thyroid cancer type, a Low-Iodine Diet Cookbook and mobile app, online and in-person support groups, person-to-person peer matching, and an annual international survivors' conference. The organization also funds thyroid cancer research grants through independent medical-society peer review.

Product overview

ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1995 that provides free education, support, and resources for thyroid cancer patients worldwide. The organization operates a portfolio of free publications including handbooks on all types of thyroid cancer (papillary/follicular, medullary, anaplastic, and pediatric), the Low-Iodine Diet Cookbook, and thyroid cancer awareness materials. These publications are complemented by support services including face-to-face support groups, the ThyCa/Inspire Online Community with 18 discussion groups, email support groups, and a Person-to-Person Network matching survivors by diagnosis. The organization also hosts the annual International Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Conference. All services are provided free of charge, funded through donations and educational grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Thyroid Cancer Basics Handbook Comprehensive free handbook covering thyroid cancer basics, available in multiple languages including English, Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and Ukrainian. Intended for newly diagnosed patients and families seeking foundational disease information.
• Medullary Thyroid Cancer Handbook Free specialized handbook focused on medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), available in English, Chinese, and Spanish for patients and families affected by this variant.
• Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Basics Handbook Free handbook covering anaplastic thyroid cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of thyroid cancer, available in English, Chinese, and Spanish for patients, families, and clinicians.
• Pediatric Thyroid Cancer Handbook Free educational resource specifically for children and teens with thyroid cancer and their families, providing age-appropriate disease and treatment information.
• Thyroid Nodules: Testing and Follow-Up Handbook Free guide covering thyroid nodules testing and follow-up procedures, available in English and Arabic for patients navigating diagnostic and monitoring pathways.
• Low Iodine Diet Cookbook Free cookbook with low-iodine recipes for thyroid cancer patients preparing for radioiodine scans and treatments, available in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
• Low Iodine Diet App Free mobile and web application providing low-iodine diet recipes and guidance for thyroid cancer patients preparing for radioiodine scans and treatment.
• International Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Conference Annual free multi-day conference bringing together thyroid cancer patients, caregivers, and medical professionals for education, support, and community building. The 29th annual conference is scheduled for October 2-4, 2026 in Cary, North Carolina, with both in-person and virtual attendance options.
• Face-to-Face Support Groups Free in-person support groups welcoming survivors, families, and friends, with meetings held in communities across the United States and other countries.
• ThyCa/Inspire Online Community Free online support community hosted on Inspire.com with 18 discussion groups, personal profile pages, and journals for thyroid cancer survivors and caregivers worldwide.
• Email Support Groups Free email listserv-based support groups organized by thyroid cancer type, covering all kinds of thyroid cancer with 9 active email groups.
• Person-to-Person Network Free one-to-one peer support network matching individuals by diagnosis for personalized support from someone with shared experience.
• Free Newsletter & Information Packet Free monthly online newsletter and patient information packet distributed free of charge to subscribers.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• American Thyroid Association (ATA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2023Independent expert panel review of research grant applications and selection of recipients. ATA provides scientific peer review services at no cost, ensuring 100% of donated research funds go directly to research.
• American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2023Independent expert panel review of research grant applications for medullary thyroid cancer research, recommending recipients to ThyCa.
• Genentech / Blueprint MedicinesminorOthers · 30 June 2023Manufacturer of GAVRETO (pralsetinib) for RET-mutant medullary thyroid cancer. ThyCa serves as patient advocacy resource, communicating drug withdrawal information to the patient community.
• American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2007ThyCa participates in AACR's Scientist-Survivor Program, attending annual meetings to learn about cancer research advances and network with researchers. Provides access to AACR's online library of cancer research publications.
• American Thyroid Association (ATA), American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), The Endocrine Society (TES)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2005Joint participation in FDA workshops on therapeutic equivalence of levothyroxine sodium products. ThyCa represents patient perspective on bioequivalence concerns for thyroid cancer patients dependent on thyroid hormone.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ThyCaInc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thycainc
• Facebookfacebook.com/thycainc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thycainc
• Instagraminstagram.com/thycainc
• Pinterestpinterest.com/thycainc
• TikToktiktok.com/@thycainc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Thyroid Cancer Survivors Association