How long can you have thyroid cancer and not know it?

The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck. It is responsible for the hormones that control your heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and metabolism.

When thyroid cells grow abnormally, they can cause thyroid cancer. But because the symptoms are vague and can mimic other, less serious conditions, you may have had thyroid cancer for months or even years without knowing it.

Thyroid Cancer Surgeon Nancy Perrier, MDexplains how thyroid cancer can go unnoticed and what you can do to catch it early when it’s easier to treat.

Symptoms of thyroid cancer may go unnoticed

Unfortunately, thyroid cancer doesn’t have many obvious symptoms, and they can vary from person to person. Some signs of thyroid cancer include:

• a lump in the front of the neck
• swollen thyroid or swollen neck
• pain in the front of the neck that may extend to the ears
• hoarsely
• difficulty breathing
• persistent cough
• swallowing problems

If you have any of these symptoms for three weeks or more, see your health care provider to have them checked out.

Accurate diagnosis is essential

Since thyroid cancer symptoms can also be associated with other conditions, such as enlarged neck lymph nodes, thyroiditis, or Hashimoto’s disease, an accurate analysis diagnostic is important. There are several tests your healthcare provider can use to find out if you have thyroid cancer.

The first thing they will likely do is perform a physical exam, to feel for any lumps or swelling in the neck. Firm nodules that do not go away can be cause for concern. Soft, short-lived nodules usually don’t cause problems.

After a physical exam, your healthcare team will likely perform:

• Imaging exams: An ultrasound and later a CT scan may be used to better see the size, shape and location of the thyroid nodules. These tests can also show if thyroid cancer has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body.

If the biopsy and imaging tests suggest you have thyroid cancer, it is important to visit a cancer center with thyroid cancer specialists to get an accurate diagnosis. For example, you may have multiple nodules, but if the wrong one is biopsied and found to be benign, a cancerous nodule may go unnoticed and cause problems in the future.

At MD Anderson, we have a team of pathologists who exclusively examine thyroid cancer all day, every day.

Some types of thyroid cancer can grow slowly

Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common and least aggressive type of thyroid cancer. It can occur in one or both thyroid lobes and can develop over several years. Some people may be at risk for papillary thyroid cancer, such as those with certain early-onset types Colon Cancer.

Patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer often have symptoms that they ignore for years until they are diagnosed.

Other less common types of thyroid cancer, such as anaplastic thyroid cancer or poorly differentiated thyroid cancer, are more aggressive. They tend to present as a large lump that comes on suddenly over a few weeks or months.

Thyroid cancer does not always need immediate treatment

If a thyroid nodule is not causing problems, patients may choose to take a watch-and-wait approach, where their healthcare team will monitor the lump for any changes before continuing treatment.

Most of the time, when patients go to have a lump examined, it is already causing difficulty in breathing or swallowing. In this case, the most common treatment is surgery remove part or all of the thyroid.

Patients with genetic mutations – especially children at high risk for thyroid cancer – can live for years before needing treatment. We monitor these patients with ultrasound and lab work.

Sometimes it’s best to let the body naturally release thyroid hormones for as long as possible before continuing with treatment. But, if we know a person is at high risk for developing thyroid cancer, we can monitor them closely and, if necessary, remove the thyroid quickly, before the disease has a chance to spread.

Seek treatment from thyroid cancer experts

Don’t be afraid to get a second opinion. You want the right treatment at the right time and in the right place. The thyroid is such a delicate gland, and it is in a very difficult area. It is therefore essential to seek treatment from experts who are experienced in treating – and removing – the tumor so that you can achieve the best possible quality of life.

 Request an appointment at MD Anderson on line or by calling 1-877-632-6789.