Thyroid Cancer Signs & Symptoms (& Why They Occur)
Thyroid cancer might not cause any symptoms at first. But as it grows, it can cause signs and symptoms, such as swelling in your neck, voice changes and difficulty swallowing.Thyroid cancer rates seem to be increasing. The increase may be caused by improved imaging technology that allows health care providers to find small thyroid cancers on CT and MRI scans done for other conditions (incidental thyroid cancers). Thyroid cancers found in this way are usually small cancers that respond well to treatments.Most thyroid cancers don’t cause any signs or symptoms early in the disease. As thyroid cancer grows, it may cause:
A lump (nodule) that can be felt through the skin on your neck
A feeling that close-fitting shirt collars are becoming too tight
Changes to your voice, including increasing hoarseness
Difficulty swallowing
Swollen lymph nodes in your neck
Pain in your neck and throat