Want more iVillage? Sign up for our
Newsletters
Thyroid Cancer - Exams and Tests
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS
- Topic Overview
-
Health Tools
- Cause
- Symptoms
- What Happens
- What Increases Your Risk
- When To Call a Doctor
- Exams and Tests
- Treatment Overview
- Prevention
- Home Treatment
- Medications
- Surgery
- Other Treatment
- Other Places To Get Help
- Related Information
- References
- Credits
In order to diagnose thyroid cancer, your doctor will ask about your medical history and do a physical exam. Thyroid cancer is most often found during a routine physical exam.
If you have a lump or nodule in your thyroid, your doctor may order a CT scan or an ultrasound to get a better look at your thyroid. If your doctor thinks that the lump or nodule could be cancerous, he or she will do a biopsy of the thyroid gland. A biopsy involves removing a piece of your thyroid, often through a fine needle. This test is a simple procedure that can be done in your doctor's office.
You may also have certain blood tests.
- Serum calcitonin. If you have medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), your calcitonin level may be high.
- Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). This test helps predict how well treatment may work. If your CEA is high, you may have medullary thyroid cancer, which is harder to treat than other types of thyroid cancer.
Other tests may be done before, during, or after your treatment for thyroid cancer.
- Serum thyroglobulin level. This blood test is done after treatment to check if the cancer has returned.
- Radioactive iodine scans help determine whether thyroid cancer has spread beyond the thyroid gland. These scans are done after surgery to remove the gland.
- Thyroid ultrasound is a safe and simple way to find out whether a thyroid nodule is solid or fluid-filled (cystic). It can also detect multiple thyroid nodules.
- A chest X-ray may help identify thyroid cancer that has spread to the lungs. This is not common.
- A CT scan of the liver may be done to check for any spread of cancer to the liver. This is not common.
In rare cases, when thyroid cancer has significantly spread, an MRI or a PET scan may be done.
If you have medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), a CT scan of the chest and belly and a bone scan may also be needed.
Early Detection
At this time there are not any screening tests for thyroid cancer that work well for people at average risk. Talk to your doctor about whether you need to be screened for thyroid cancer.
People who have a family history of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) may want to have a genetic test to look for a gene change called an RET mutation. Before you have the test, it is a good idea to talk with a genetic counselor. He or she can help you understand what your test results may mean.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: November 4, 2009 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Matthew I. Kim, MD - Endocrinology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
Welcome to Care Circle, an exclusive tool to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. Here's how it works:
- Create profiles for yourself and your loved ones.
- Select the topics and conditions that interest each of you.
- Get customized news updates, original content, tools, and expert advice for each Care Circle member delivered directly to your personalized homepage.
The information you input is strictly private; you choose who has access to your Care Circle.
How do I add myself or someone else to my care circle?
Click on "Add someone." Fill out the short profile. Choose an avatar. Select the topics and conditions that interest this person from the pulldown menu. You can select as many as you want, but you must choose at least one. Click on "Add Someone" again. You should start getting updates immediately.
How do I save content to my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab of the person for whom you're saving content. Put your cursor over the piece of content that you want to save; a disk icon will appear in the righthand corner. Click on the disk and the piece of content will be moved to a save folder.
How do I add additional topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Add More to Follow," select additional topics and conditions.
How do I delete topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Follows," scroll over the topic or condition you want to delete. An "X" should appear on the righthand side. Click on the "X" and the topic or condition will be deleted from the list.
To manage your Care Circle, Please
Sign In.
