Thyroid Cancer Symptoms and Signs

June 15, 2024 
This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by Sasan Fazeli, M.D., assistant clinical professor in the Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, and Karen Tsai, M.D., assistant clinical professor in the Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, City of Hope^® Cancer Center Duarte.

Symptoms are changes people feel. Signs, on the other hand, are changes that may be seen or measured, like blood pressure.

People with thyroid cancer do not typically experience symptoms in the early stages.

Thyroid cancers are often found during a routine exam, when the doctor feels the neck, or through unrelated imaging scans. If someone does experience thyroid-related symptoms or signs, they may be related to other medical conditions, not cancer.

This overview explains what symptoms people may experience if they have thyroid cancer.

Symptoms of Thyroid Cancer

People with thyroid cancer may notice the following symptoms:

• A lump or swelling in the neck
• Pain in the front of the neck
• Trouble swallowing or breathing
• Changes to their voice, like hoarseness, that do not go away
• A constant cough

These symptoms do not always mean thyroid cancer. They may be caused by other health conditions, cancerous and noncancerous, but it’s important for people with these symptoms to be seen by a doctor. Cancers caught early may be more responsive to treatment.

Thyroid ultrasounds may be used to screen for thyroid cancer, and should be considered in those with the above symptoms, incidental findings on imaging studies (such as X-rays or MRI scans) and those who are at high risk, such as people with a family history of thyroid cancer or radiation exposure to the thyroid gland. If thyroid cancer is suspected, further tests and imaging may help determine whether cancer is present and whether the cancer is in an early stage or more advanced.

Signs That Thyroid Cancer Has Spread

Cancer that has spread to areas outside where it originally developed is called metastasis. The doctor may see signs of whether the cancer has spread using imaging scans during the thyroid cancer diagnosis process, such as:

• A comprehensive neck ultrasound
• A computed tomography (CT) scan
• A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
• A nuclear imaging scan that uses radioactive iodine to show thyroid cancer cells
• A positron emission tomography (PET) scan that uses a type of sugar to show cancer cells

Patients with more advanced thyroid cancer may experience:

• Rapid weight loss
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Rapid worsening of symptoms, including shortness of breath, problems swallowing, voice changes or neck tightness

Thyroid Cancer Symptoms in Females Versus Males

The symptoms for thyroid cancer are the same in both sexes. Men and women are nearly equally affected by the thyroid cancers that are more challenging to treat.

However, women may be more likely to be diagnosed earlier simply because they may be more likely than men to see a doctor. As a result, they undergo more exams and screenings that may detect cancer.