Health encyclopaedia

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

Diagnosis of Cancer of the thyroid

A GP’s initial physical examination cannot tell if a lump is cancerous or not.  A blood test may be done to check thyroid hormone levels.

The doctor will arrange a referral to hospital for further tests, these may include:

• Fine needle aspiration - small amount of thyroid tissue is extracted, so it can be looked at under a microscope to reveal any abnormalities (biopsy).  This will confirm a diagnosis.
• Ultrasound scan - this uses sound waves to show solid lumps or cysts. It may also be used to help find the thyroid lump during a needle biopsy.
• Radioisotope scan / gamma camera scan - this uses a very small amount of radioactive iodine.  Thyroid cells pick up iodine much more quickly than any other cells in the body but thyroid cancer cells do not pick up iodine as quickly so they will show up as ‘cold’ spots. The gamma camera measures the amount of radioactive substances taken up by the thyroid gland. This scan cannot tell whether a tumour is benign or cancerous.

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