Thyroid cancer - papillary carcinoma

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Endocrine glands	Thyroid cancer - CT scan	Thyroid cancer - CT scan	Thyroid enlargement - scintiscan
Thyroid gland

Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid

Thyroid cancer usually begins as a small bump (nodule) in the thyroid gland. However, it should be emphasized that most thyroid bumps are harmless and noncancerous (benign).

If you have a lump on your thyroid, your doctor will order blood tests and an ultrasound  of the thyroid gland. 

If the ultrasound shows that the lump is bigger than 1.0 centimeters, a special biopsy called a fine needle aspiration   (FNA) will be performed. This test determines if the lump is cancerous or benign.

Thyroid function tests are usually normal in patients with thyroid cancer.

Review Date: 02/07/2006
Reviewed By: William Matsui, MD, Assistant Professor of Oncology, Division of HematologicMalignancies, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at JohnsHopkins, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.