Diagnosis of thyroid cancer

The doctor will ask you about your general health, family history and any previous medical problems you have had. They will also examine you. You may have some of the following tests.

It is not possible to diagnose thyroid cancer through blood tests. But you usually have blood tests to check your general health and your thyroid hormone levels. These levels show how well your thyroid is working.

An ultrasound ultrasound scan uses sound waves to build up a picture of the inside of the neck and the thyroid gland. Your doctor will also check the lymph nodes in your neck to see if any of them are abnormal. This is because thyroid cancer can spread to the lymph nodes.

You lie on your back for the scan. When you are lying comfortably, the person doing the scan spreads a gel over your neck. They move a small hand-held device, like a microphone, around the skin on your neck area. A picture of the inside of your neck shows up on a screen. An ultrasound scan only takes a few minutes and is painless.

The results of the ultrasound scan help the doctors to decide whether a fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) is needed.

A doctor gently passes a small needle into the lump or swelling in your neck. Sometimes the doctor uses an ultrasound scan to help guide the needle to the right area. They take a small sample of cells and examine it under a microscope, to check for any abnormal cells.

If an FNA does not collect enough cells, it may need to be done again.

Sometimes you may need to have a core biopsy. You have a local anaesthetic to numb the area. Your doctor uses a needle to take a sample of tissue from the lump or swelling in your neck. The needle is slightly bigger than the one used for the FNA. They may use an ultrasound scan to guide the needle to the right area. You may have a core biopsy if:

• the FNA does not collect enough cells
• the results from the FNA are not clear enough to make a diagnosis.

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