1. No symptoms
Thyroid cancer is silent at first. It starts as a small nodule and so it doesn’t cause any symptoms, not until it gets larger.
In many cases, we find thyroid cancer incidentally. For example, we may find a thyroid nodule in a CT that we performed for another reason.
2. A lump on your neck
Because the thyroid is a very superficial gland, we can touch and feel thyroid nodules under the skin. Sometimes, they can even be seen. If you feel something on your neck, try turning your head the other direction and ask somebody to take a look.
In some cases, thyroid cancer can spread to lymph nodes on your neck, usually above your collarbone. You’ll feel a bunch of nodes in that area.
However, not all thyroid nodules are cancer. In fact, many people in the world have thyroid nodules, and most of them are benign. Even so, if you feel a new lump, go see your doctor and have it checked.
Some people have very large thyroid glands, this is called goiter. There are several causes for it, and it used to be frequent in places with very low iodine diets, like high mountains (Great Lakes, Appalachian, and Northwestern U.S. regions…).
3. Pain
Most thyroid nodules aren’t painful. However, if they irritate some surrounding structures, they can cause some throat pain.
4. Difficulty swallowing
If the tumor gets very large, it may compress the esophagus. Also, it can infiltrate some nerves that are in control of swallowing. In these cases you may feel like you no longer know how to swallow, even feeling you are about to choke.
5. Vocal changes and hoarseness
Some of the nerves responsible for swallowing are also responsible for your voice. When they get affected, your voice may get hoarse.
6. Cough
Irritation of these nerves also causes coughing.
7. Thyroid-hormone disbalance symptoms
Thyroid cancer usually doesn’t mess with your thyroid hormone levels. Cancer itself doesn’t rise them nor lower them.
However, thyroid cancer is more frequent in people with some other thyroid diseases, like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Grave’s disease. These conditions do cause thyroid hormone alterations, so you may notice:
- a change in the texture of your hair, which gets brittle
- your skin gets dry and fragile, with some “cracks” on it
- exhaustion, like you’ve got no energy left
- heart palpitations if you have too much thyroid hormone (think of Grave’s disease)
Finally, you have to remember these symptoms are not specific for thyroid cancer. Most of the time, these symptoms don’t mean anything bad. For example, pharyngitis can cause many of them (pain, cough, hoarse voice…).
However, if they don’t go away after 1 week, you’d better check with your doctor.
Also, you can read about thyroid cancer diagnosis here.
If you’d rather read about treating it, check this one.
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