Symptoms
The most common symptom for thyroid cancer is a prominent lump (also known as goiter) in the neck area, but just because a goiter is present, it does not necessarily mean that cancer is present. Other symptoms include neck/ear pain, swallowing/breathing trouble, wheezing, a hoarse voice and also a continual cough that is not related to the common cold. |
How it is Diagnosed
At times, obvious symptoms do not show, but during a normal check-up, doctor's can find a nodule (swelling). If a doctor does find this in a patient, they do a biopsy (removing a small piece of the thyroid tissue to check for cancer cells). Even if a doctor does this, the biopsy might not clarify if cancer is present, so surgery is done to remove some or all of the gland. |