Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis

Thyroid tumors are found and diagnosed in a number of ways.

Some people notice thyroid cancer symptoms, such as a swelling or a small nodule (called a thyroid nodule) in the front of the neck, and ask their doctor for an examination. But many people have no symptoms. If you’re worried about having thyroid cancer, talk to your doctor about an evaluation.

Thyroid Biopsy
To do a biopsy, we remove a small sample of tissue from the area to examine under a microscope. This test helps us figure out if a thyroid nodule is benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

We use two types of biopsies to diagnose thyroid cancer.

• Fine needle aspiration can be done in a doctor’s office or by a radiologist. Ultrasound helps us guide a very thin needle into the thyroid nodule to remove a small number of cells
• Core biopsy is done for thyroid cancer that has spread (metastasized) outside the thyroid gland or is more advanced. This approach involves using a larger needle.