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Anaplastic thyroid cancer - Symptom

Alternative Names

Anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid

Symptoms:

Cough
Coughing up blood
Difficulty swallowing
Hoarseness or changing voice
Loud breathing
Lower neck mass, often noted to be enlarging

Signs and tests:

A physical examination may show a neck mass.

A CT scan or MRI may show a tumor growing from the thyroid gland.
A thyroid biopsy shows anaplastic carcinoma.
An examination of the airway with a fiberoptic scope (laryngoscopy) may show a paralyzed vocal cord.
An isotope study of the thyroid (thyroid scan) shows this mass to be "cold," meaning it does not absorb the isotope.

Thyroid cancer - CT scan

Thyroid gland

Reviewed last on: 3/21/2008
Stephen Grund, MD, PhD, Chief of Hematology/Oncology and Director of the George Bray Cancer Center at New Britain General Hospital, New Britain, CT. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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