Thyroid cancer symptoms are hardly noticeable at an early stage of the disease. Therefore, most cases of thyroid cancer are accidentally discovered by ultrasound. A tumor of the thyroid gland can only be palpated from a diameter of about 1.5 to 2 centimeters. In this size, however, he is almost invisible from the outside and causes no symptoms. Thyroid cancer signs do not appear until the tumor presses adjacent structures such as the esophagus and airway or damages the nerve tracts in that region. Read here which symptoms can cause thyroid cancer in detail.
General thyroid cancer symptoms
- persistent hoarseness: This can be due to partial or complete paralysis of the vocal cords when the tumor damages certain laryngeal nerve tracts.
- Horner’s syndrome: The Horner syndrome is also caused by damage to nerve tracts. Here, the pupil of one eye is narrowed (miosis), the eyeball of the affected side sunken (Enopthalmus) and the upper lid hangs down (ptosis).
- difficulty breathingWhen the tumor narrows the trachea, it is harder to breathe.
- Dysphagia or a feeling of pressure in the throat: This occurs when the tumor presses on the esophagus and narrows it.
The different types of thyroid cancer differ in part in terms of their symptoms: Thyroid cancer is divided into four main types based on the degenerated cells of origin, each of which can show specific symptoms.
Special thyroid cancer symptoms
Follicular thyroid carcinoma, and especially papillary thyroid carcinoma, may be noted by swollen lymph nodes on the neck when the cancer cells have spread to the lymph nodes. In medullary thyroid carcinoma (C-cell carcinoma) there is a massive overproduction of the hormone calcitonin, which affects the calcium and phosphate balance. As a result, the calcium level is greatly reduced (hypocalcemia). As a result, muscle spasms or emotional disorders (such as tingling in the hands) may occur. In addition, it can lead to a strong diarrhea, which can not be controlled by medication. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma shows its aggressive growth behavior after a relatively short time thyroid cancer symptoms: This includes an asymmetric swelling of the throat, which increases greatly within a few weeks and may be accompanied by redness of the skin, hoarseness and difficulty swallowing.
For all the mentioned thyroid cancer symptoms, however, these can also occur in other, sometimes significantly more harmless diseases. specific Thyroid Cancer Symptoms there is not any. Due to the difficulty to recognize, regular ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland is important for the early detection of thyroid cancer.