Marisa Abela's Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis At 23 Changed Her Life Forever

Hearing you have cancer is life-changing at any age. But finding out you've been diagnosed at age 23 is especially surprising. That's what happened to Marisa Abela after getting a checkup for what she presumed were symptoms of Covid in 2020.

Abela reportedly scheduled time with a doctor for cognitive difficulties and generalized fatigue that she associated with the emerging virus. After she was tested, she was told that she actually had cancer of the thyroid, a gland that sits in the lower throat and is usually described as being shaped like a butterfly. The thyroid controls multiple processes, including how food is metabolized and how the body develops.

When cancer affects the thyroid, patients typically report obvious symptoms, although not necessarily the ones that caused Abela to get medical care. More common symptoms of thyroid disorders like cancer include lumps in the throat, voice changes, neck or throat discomfort, and trouble swallowing (via Mayo Clinic).

According to the American Cancer Society, about 45,000 cases of thyroid cancer occur annually in the United States. And receiving a thyroid cancer diagnosis as a younger adult isn't entirely unusual, although Abela was younger than most, as the average thyroid cancer patient is 51.

Treatment protocols for thyroid cancer can vary, although surgery is often the preferred course of action to remove all cancerous signs. In Abela's circumstance, a complete thyroidectomy was necessary, along with the removal of 19 adjacent lymph nodes. After her procedure, she underwent radioactive iodine to eradicate any possible remaining traces of the cancer. (Sarah Huckabee also went through a successful thyroid cancer medical procedure.)

The surgical procedure Abela opted for is considered standard but can come with potential side effects, including a persistently hoarse voice. The actress has admitted that one of her biggest fears was that she might never be able to speak again, which would affect her career. As she noted while on How to Fail With Elizabeth Day, "[A]m I going to be able to speak again? That was the scariest thing, because you had to go through a lot of nerves to get to my thyroid." She added, "I remember when I woke up, the first thing I did was go, 'maaa,' because I just wanted to make sure I could talk."

Head and neck surgeon Dr. Lisa Orloff agrees that thyroid cancer surgery involves a high degree of expertise because of the thyroid's proximity to the vocal cords. As Dr. Orloff told SurvivorNet, "The surgery itself is complex and delicate, but yet, it's also a surgery that most people recover from very quickly." She adds that most people who do experience disruptions to their vocal cords only have temporary problems.

Fortunately, Abela's concerns didn't come to pass. That said, she's been left with more than just a telltale scar on her neck to remind her of her brush with a serious condition — she must also take medications daily to replicate the normal functions of a thyroid.

With accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment, thyroid cancer can be cured in up to 99% of cases depending upon the type and stage of the cancer at diagnosis. And it would appear that Abela has enjoyed a positive outcome: In 2026, she told The Times that she was "all in the clear now," indicating that her cancer was still in remission.