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Thyroid cancer - Symptom

Alternative Names

Tumor - thyroid; Cancer - thyroid

Symptoms:

Symptoms vary depending on the type of thyroid cancer, but may include:

Cough
Difficulty swallowing
Enlargement of the thyroid gland
Hoarseness or changing voice
Neck swelling
Thyroid lump (nodule)

Signs and tests:

Your doctor will perform a physical exam. This may reveal a lump in the thyroid, or swollen lymph nodes in the neck.

The following tests may be done:

Calcitonin blood test to check for medullary cancer
Thyroglobulin blood test to check for papillary or follicular cancer
Laryngoscopy
Thyroid biopsy
Thyroid scan
Ultrasound of the thyroid

This disease may also affect the results of the following thyroid function tests:

Endocrine glands

Thyroid cancer - CT scan

Thyroid gland

Reviewed last on: 2/28/2011
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine and Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Ladenson P, Kim M. Thyroid. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 244.

National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Thyroid Cancer. Version 1.2011

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