| According to the National Cancer Institute, the following | | | | other type of cancer. |
| tests and procedures may be used to examine the | | | | Ultrasound exam: A procedure in which high-energy |
| thyroid, neck, and blood to detect (find) and diagnose | | | | sound waves (ultrasound) are bounced off internal |
| thyroid cancer, and decide on appropriate thyroid | | | | tissues or organs and make echoes. The echoes form |
| cancer treatments: | | | | a picture of body tissues called a sonogram. The |
| Physical exam and history: An exam of the body to | | | | picture can be printed to be looked at later. This |
| check general signs of health, including checking for | | | | procedure can show the size of a thyroid tumor and |
| signs of disease, such as lumps or swelling in the neck, | | | | whether it is solid or a fluid -filled cyst. Ultrasound may |
| voice box, and lymph nodes, and anything else that | | | | be used to guide a fine-needle aspiration biopsy. |
| seems unusual. A history of the patient’s health | | | | CT scan (CAT scan): A procedure that makes a |
| habits and past illnesses and treatments will also be | | | | series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, |
| taken. | | | | taken from different angles. The pictures are made by |
| Laryngoscopy: A procedure in which the doctor | | | | a computer linked to an x-ray machine. A dye may be |
| checks the larynx (voice box) with a mirror or with a | | | | injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or |
| laryngoscope. A laryngoscope is a thin, tube-like | | | | tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also |
| instrument with a light and a lens for viewing. A thyroid | | | | called computed tomography, computerized |
| tumor may press on vocal cords. The laryngoscopy is | | | | tomography, or computerized axial tomography. |
| done to see if the vocal cords are moving normally. | | | | MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A procedure that |
| Blood hormone studies: A procedure in which a blood | | | | uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make |
| sample is checked to measure the amounts of certain | | | | a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. |
| hormones released into the blood by organs and | | | | This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic |
| tissues in the body. An unusual (higher or lower than | | | | resonance imaging (NMRI). |
| normal) amount of a substance can be a sign of | | | | PET scan (positron emission tomography scan): A |
| disease in the organ or tissue that makes it. The blood | | | | procedure to find malignant tumor cells in the body. A |
| may be checked for abnormal levels of | | | | Los Angeles oncologist injects a small amount of |
| thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH is made by the | | | | radioactive glucose (sugar) into a vein. The PET |
| pituitary gland in the brain. It stimulates the release of | | | | scanner rotates around the body and makes a picture |
| thyroid hormone and controls how fast follicular thyroid | | | | of where glucose is being used in the body. Malignant |
| cells grow. The blood may also be checked for high | | | | tumor cells show up brighter in the picture because |
| levels of the hormone calcitonin which may | | | | they are more active and take up more glucose than |
| necessitate parotid gland surgery depending on | | | | normal cells do. |
| several factors. | | | | Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid: The |
| Blood chemistry studies: A procedure in which a blood | | | | removal of thyroid tissue using a thin needle. The |
| sample is checked to measure the amounts of certain | | | | needle is inserted through the skin into the thyroid. |
| substances, such as calcium, released into the blood | | | | Several tissue samples are removed from different |
| by organs and tissues in the body. An unusual (higher | | | | parts of the thyroid. A pathologist views the tissue |
| or lower than normal) amount of a substance can be | | | | samples under a microscope to look for cancer cells. |
| a sign of disease in the organ or tissue that makes it. | | | | Because the type of thyroid cancer can be hard to |
| Radioactive iodine scan (RAI scan): A procedure to | | | | diagnose, patients should ask to have biopsy samples |
| find areas in the body where thyroid cancer cells may | | | | checked by a pathologist who has experience |
| be dividing quickly. Radioactive iodine (RAI) is used | | | | diagnosing thyroid cancer. |
| because only thyroid cells take up iodine. A very small | | | | Surgical biopsy: The removal of the thyroid nodule or |
| amount of RAI is swallowed, travels through the blood, | | | | one lobe of the thyroid during surgery so the cells and |
| and collects in thyroid tissue and thyroid cancer cells | | | | tissues can be viewed under a microscope by a |
| anywhere in the body. Abnormal thyroid cells take up | | | | pathologist to check for signs of cancer. Because the |
| less iodine than normal thyroid tissue. Areas that do not | | | | type of thyroid cancer can be hard to diagnose, |
| absorb the iodine normally (cold spots) show up lighter | | | | patients should ask to have biopsy samples checked |
| in the picture made by the scan. Cold spots can be | | | | by a pathologist who has experience diagnosing |
| either benign (not cancer) or malignant, so a biopsy is | | | | thyroid cancer. |
| done to find out if they are salivary gland cancer or | | | | |