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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffThyroid cancer typically doesn't cause any signs or symptoms early in the disease. As thyroid cancer grows, it may cause:
- A lump that can be felt through the skin on your neck
- Changes to your voice, including increasing hoarseness
- Difficulty swallowing
- Pain in your neck and throat
- Swollen lymph nodes in your neck
When to see a doctor
If you experience any signs or symptoms that worry you, make an appointment with your doctor. Thyroid cancer isn't common, so your doctor may investigate other causes of your signs and symptoms first.
- SEER stat fact sheets. Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results. http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/hrml/thyro.html. Accessed Feb. 12, 2009.
- Thyroid carcinoma. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/thyroid.pdf. Accessed Feb. 12, 2009.
- What you need to know about thyroid cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/thyroid/allpages/print. Accessed Feb. 12, 2009.
- Cancer of the thyroid. American Thyroid Association. http://www.thyroid.org/patients/patient_brochurs/cancer_of_thyroid.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2009.
- Lal G, et al. Cancer of the endocrine system. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008:1271.
- Thyroid scan and uptake. RadiologyInfo. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=thyroiduptake. Accessed Feb. 18, 2009.
- Dralle H, et al. Surgical approaches in thyroid cancer and lymph-node metastases. Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2008;22:971.
- Radioiodine (I-131) therapy for hyperthyroidism. RadiologyInfo. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=radioiodine. Accessed Feb. 18, 2009.
- Can thyroid cancer be prevented? American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_2X_Can_thyroid_cancer_be_prevented_43.asp?sitearea=. Accessed Feb. 19, 2009.
- Use of potassium iodide. United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emerg-preparedness/protect-public/potassium-iodid-use.html. Accessed Feb. 19, 2009.
- What can I do to prepare for a radiological emergency? United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emerg-preparedness/prepare-for-radiological-emerg.html. Accessed Feb. 19, 2009.
- Kronenberg HM, et al. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008:422.
- Nippoldt TB (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 13, 2009.
