Early symptoms and manifestations of thyroid cancer

Written by Yan Chun

Oncology

Updated on October 21, 2024

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Thyroid cancer is a common malignant tumor in the head and neck area. Early symptoms and signs primarily include a thyroid mass discovered incidentally during a physical examination. This type of mass grows quickly, leading to localized thyroid enlargement, and patients may experience discomfort when swallowing. Additionally, some thyroid cancer patients, due to abnormal hormone secretion, might experience unexplained skin flushing or sweating symptoms. Besides, early symptoms and manifestations of thyroid cancer are not typical, and many patients do not exhibit obvious symptoms. Instead, abnormalities in thyroid function are often incidentally found during physical examinations.

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Written by Gong Chun

Oncology

58sec

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Early symptoms of thyroid cancer

Early symptoms of thyroid cancer: First, differentiated thyroid cancer often exhibits no symptoms in its early stages, only accidentally discovered nodules that vary in size and texture on the front of the neck. Some patients are only diagnosed during routine physical exams or through imaging studies, with clinical symptoms being relatively rare. However, more symptoms and signs may appear in the later stages. Second, medullary thyroid cancer presents some unique symptoms, such as persistent diarrhea, typically watery, and a syndrome involving the endocrine system. Patients may exhibit facial flushing, elevated blood pressure, and decreased blood calcium levels, accompanied by other conditions, such as parathyroid adenomas, multiple mucosal neuromas, and pheochromocytomas, which also manifest specific symptoms.

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Written by Yan Chun

Oncology

1min 4sec

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What are the early symptoms of thyroid cancer?

Thyroid cancer is a common malignant tumor in the head and neck area. The early symptoms of thyroid cancer are highly atypical, and many patients do not present clear early symptoms. Often, patients discover painless nodules in the thyroid incidentally during physical examinations; these nodules can move up and down with swallowing motions. In a minority of cases, when the nodules of early-stage thyroid cancer are large, they can cause hoarseness or coughing and choking when drinking water. Some patients might experience intermittent, hidden pain in the thyroid area during the early stages, which often resolves on its own without treatment. Besides these, in its early stages, thyroid cancer may not present other obvious symptoms. As the condition progresses, significant clinical symptoms appear only when the tumor invades surrounding structures or metastasizes to distant sites.

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Written by Sun Ming Yue

Medical Oncology

46sec

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Is there an abnormality in the routine blood test for thyroid cancer?

If you have thyroid cancer, it is advised that patients promptly visit a formal hospital for examination. If one undergoes a routine blood test, generally there will be no abnormalities. This test can reveal the number of platelets, the presence of anemia, or the state of white blood cells, which are not related to the thyroid. Therefore, if thyroid cancer patients undergo routine blood tests, typically no abnormalities will be found. In daily life, patients should ensure they rest sufficiently, engage in less physically demanding exercise, maintain a cheerful mood, plan their three meals a day wisely, and pay attention to nutritious diet planning.

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Written by Gong Chun

Oncology

1min 16sec

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How is thyroid cancer diagnosed?

The first point is the diagnostic process for differentiated thyroid cancer. Initially, most patients may not have symptoms, while a minority might show symptoms due to invasion of surrounding organs. Ultrasound examination is the preferred method for diagnosing thyroid nodules. Ultrasound can clarify the number, nature, and location of thyroid nodules, as well as provide information on whether there are abnormally enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. It has a relatively high accuracy in identifying the nature of thyroid nodules. Currently, the most accurate test for determining the nature of thyroid nodules remains the fine needle aspiration cytology, which has a diagnostic sensitivity of 83-92% and specificity of 80-92%, but it is not 100% conclusive. The second point is about the diagnosis of medullary thyroid cancer. Besides the tests common for thyroid cancers, additional tests for medullary thyroid cancer can include fine needle aspiration, ultrasound, and some serological tests, such as calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen tests.

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Written by Gong Chun

Oncology

1min 2sec

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Late-stage symptoms of thyroid cancer

Differentiated thyroid cancer, in its advanced stages, can exhibit noticeable symptoms due to large nodules or invasion of surrounding organs. For example, a massive nodule pressing on the trachea can cause breathing difficulties, including respiratory distress. Compression of the esophagus can lead to swallowing difficulties, and pressure on the recurrent laryngeal nerve may result in symptoms like hoarseness. Even very few benign thyroid nodules can cause edema and inflammation by compressing these nerves. Therefore, differentiation and distinctive treatment are essential, along with a pathological diagnosis. Medullary thyroid cancer also presents specific symptoms, including persistent diarrhea, endocrine syndromes, and other accompanying conditions such as pheochromocytoma, multiple mucosal neuromas, and symptoms and signs caused by parathyroid adenomas.