It is also a cancer that is typically diagnosed early (68% of cases are diagnosed in an early stage), which means it is more easily treated and a full recovery is more likely. Symptoms are fairly easy to spot. The most common symptom is a lump (nodule) in the neck that an individual may notice themselvs, or that may be found by a doctor during a routine physical exam. Although most lumps found in the thyroid gland are not cancerous, any abnormality found should be brought to the attention of your medical provider.
Other symptoms can include:
- Tight or full feeling in the neck;
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing;
- Hoarseness or a loss of voice;
- Pain the throat or neck that doesn't go away.
Aside from the visual indications, other tests that can be used to evaluate thyroid nodules are blood tests to determine levels of hormones related to normal functions of the gland, medical imaging such as ultrasound and CT scans to evaluate size and characteristics of the nodule and nearby lymph nodes, and a biopsy to determine if cells in the nodule are benign or malignant.
There are a few risk factors for thyroid cancer, most of which are difficult to avoid. They include being female, having a history of goiter (enlarged thyroid) or thyroid nodules, having a family history of thyroid cancer, and radiation exposure related to medical treatment during childhood or other radiation exposure. Unlike other adult cancers, thyroid cancer risk does not increase with age. In fact, 80% of new thyroid cancer diagnoses are made in people under the age of 65.
For more information on thyroid cancer, you can visit these websites:
Endocrine Web
Mayo Clinic
National Cancer Institute
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