Thyroid Cancer Expert: 5 Best Ways to Diagnose America's Fastest Growing Cancer

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Nate Walsh, a recognized expert on thyroid cancer, has published a new article on the best ways to diagnose thyroid cancer for Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month.

Thyroid cancer is the fastest growing cancer in the US, and is the 5^th most common cancer in women.

Dr Walsh, a thyroid cancer surgeon with the Clayman Thyroid Center at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa, Florida, notes that many thyroid cancers have been present for a number of years before they are detected.

"Like all cancers, thyroid cancer is much more curable if found early and therefore less likely to have spread to other organs or the surrounding lymph nodes," says Dr Walsh. "So primary care doctors as well as patients need to know how to diagnose thyroid cancer so it can be accomplished as soon as possible."

While a thyroid cancer diagnosis can be scary to receive, the good news is that it is one of the most curable types of cancer. Of course, the first step toward treatment and being cured is a diagnosis.

"A fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA or needle biopsy) remains the mainstay in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer," says Dr. Walsh.

Thyroid needle biopsy is performed by sticking a very small needle into the thyroid lump or nodule. The doctor will use an ultrasound at the same time so he/she can watch the small needle go into the thyroid nodule. When the needle is removed it will contain a small sampling of cells from the thyroid nodule (or neck lymph nodes if the needle was put into a lymph node). Looking at those cells under a microscope is how the pathologist will diagnose the thyroid cancer.

"An excellent ultrasound can be enough to make the diagnosis of thyroid cancer," says Dr. Walsh.

During ultrasound, the technician must thoroughly examine the thyroid and all the areas of lymph nodes in both sides of the neck that can be involved with thyroid cancer. If your ultrasound is not comprehensive and does not include this important component, cancer may be missed and left behind after surgery.

An expert evaluation at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery starts with a high-resolution ultrasound that looks at the thyroid gland and all the lymph nodes with a detection capability as small as 1 millimeter.

"Thyroid cancer usually has no symptoms," says Dr. Walsh, "so performing self-checks on your own neck regularly is very important."

Often, a nodule or lymph node with thyroid cancer is diagnosed on examination. Regularly performing self-checks of your neck and thyroid, coupled with routine visits to your primary doctor, are crucial in the diagnosis and monitoring of thyroid cancer.

The thyroid is a butterfly shaped organ that lays in the middle of your neck right above your collar bone.  To perform a self-check, move your fingers around the middle of your neck where your thyroid is located.  You also want to move your fingers up and down your neck as well as along both sides of your neck near the muscle you can see and feel that helps turn your head.  Lymph nodes that can harbor thyroid cancer are located anywhere from below your ear to your collar bone on both sides of your neck.

Dr. Rashmi Roy, senior surgeon of the Clayman Thyroid Center at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery, recently released a video on how to perform a self-check in under one minute.

"Thyroid cancer screening is so important, and you wouldn't believe how many people have never performed a self-check on their own neck," said Dr. Roy. "If you feel a lump or bump in your neck, it may be nothing… but it could be cancerous. This simple step can save thousands of lives per year by catching the thyroid cancer early."

"Every day, we see thyroid cancers that were diagnosed through a CT scan that was done for another reason," says Dr. Walsh.

CT scans are frequently used to diagnose, follow, and treat numerous medical conditions. Due to widespread use, numerous thyroid cancers are found incidentally (or coincidentally) when someone gets a CT scan of their head, neck, and/or chest for another symptom or complaint (i.e., headache, neck pain, or difficulty breathing).

An ultrasound tells the doctor if there is something abnormal in the thyroid. The CT scan can further tell the doctor where the abnormality is located. Both studies complement each other.

"I often hear folks say that they had their annual blood work done and their thyroid levels were normal, so they're fine," says Dr. Walsh, "but the fact is, only a small percentage of thyroid cancers are diagnosed through blood tests."

The most common type of thyroid cancer, papillary thyroid cancer, which accounts for roughly 85% of cases, cannot be diagnosed with labs. It cannot be stressed enough that normal thyroid hormone levels on your labs does not rule out thyroid cancer!

The Hospital for Endocrine Surgery's thyroid surgeons are the most experienced and highest volume thyroid surgeons in the country, operating on more than 2,000 patients per year. They exclusively perform thyroid surgery, and there's nothing they haven't seen.

The Hospital for Endocrine Surgery's process streamlines evaluation, diagnosis, and surgical treatment from months to just one day. It is the only center in the world that offers this expedited process, which is particularly beneficial for traveling patients. And with more than 50% of the Hospital's patients traveling from out of state, they are committed to making the process as seamless as possible from the moment a patient reaches out.

Founded by one of the nation's best-known thyroid surgeons, the Clayman Thyroid Center is the highest volume thyroid cancer referral center in the United States. The Center boasts the most experienced thyroid surgeons in the US who provide personalized care allowing the greatest opportunity for cancer cure, wellness and cosmetic, and functional, outcomes via all types of thyroid surgery from minimal incision to scarless thyroid surgery to advanced cancer care.

www.thyroidcancer.com  | (813) 940-3130

The Hospital for Endocrine Surgery is a campus of HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital focused on compassionate patient care and highly specialized treatment of endocrine tumors. We provide a wide array of services necessary for the diagnosis and surgical treatment of tumors of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands. Our team includes doctors, surgeons, nurses and technicians who have dedicated their careers to delivering the highest cure rates using the most advanced techniques available. HCA's Hospital for Endocrine Surgery is the nation's highest volume hospital for thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal tumors and cancers.

www.hospitalforendocrinesurgery.com

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SOURCE Clayman Thyroid Center