What are the symptoms of papillary thyroid cancer

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When does thyroid cancer occur??

Thyroid — a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck, just below your Adam’s apple. Your thyroid produces hormones that regulate your heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and weight.

Unusual lumps on your neck can be a symptom of a thyroid problem. Most of the time, the lump will be benign and harmless. It could be a simple buildup of excess thyroid cells that have formed a mass of tissue. Sometimes the lump is a papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. Thyroid cancer occurs when cells in your thyroid undergo genetic changes (mutations). The mutations allow the cells to grow and multiply rapidly. The cells also lose the ability to die, as normal cells would. The accumulating abnormal thyroid cells form a tumor. The abnormal cells can invade nearby tissue and can spread throughout the body.

Papillary Carcinoma of the Thyroid

There are five types of thyroid cancer. Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid is the most common type. This cancer is most common in adults over the age of 45. Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid is a slow-growing cancer that typically develops in only one lobe of the thyroid gland. When caught in its early stages this cancer has a high survival rate.

Symptoms of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid

Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid is generally asymptomatic, which means it doesn’t have any symptoms. As a nodule gets bigger, you may start to have symptoms like:

Lump in your neck that you can see or feel

Hard time swallowing (you might have pain or find that food or pills get stuck)

Sore throat or hoarseness that doesn’t go away

Swollen lymph nodes in your neck

Trouble breathing, especially when you lie down

Causes of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid

The exact cause of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid is unknown. There may be a genetic mutation involved but more research is need to confirm this hypothesis.

Gender: It’s much more common in women than men.

Exposure to high levels of radiation: Examples of exposure to high levels of radiation include radiation treatments to the head and neck and fallout from sources such as nuclear power plant accidents or weapons testing.

Certain inherited genetic syndromes: Genetic syndromes that increase the risk of thyroid cancer include familial medullary thyroid cancer and multiple endocrine neoplasia.

Family history: In a small number of cases, papillary thyroid carcinoma runs in the family.

Testing for and diagnosing papillary thyroid cancer

Your doctor can diagnose papillary carcinoma of the thyroid using a variety of tests.

Blood tests: Your doctor may order blood tests to check levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH is the hormone that the pituitary gland produces, which stimulates the release of thyroid hormone. Too much or too little TSH is a cause for concern. It may show a variety of thyroid diseases, but it is not specific to any one condition, including cancer.

Ultrasound: A technician will perform an ultrasound of your thyroid gland. This imaging test will allow your doctor to see the size and shape of your thyroid. They’ll also be able to detect any nodules and determine if they’re solid masses or filled with liquid. Liquid-filled nodules typically aren’t cancer, while solid ones have a greater chance of being malignant.

Thyroid scan: Your doctor may also want to do a thyroid scan. For this procedure, you’ll swallow a small amount of radioactive dye that your thyroid cells will take up. A contrast material called gadolinium is often injected into a vein before the scan to better show details.

Biopsy: Your doctor performs a biopsy to get a small piece of tissue from your thyroid. A definitive diagnosis is possible after the tissue is examined under a microscope. This will also allow for a diagnosis of which type of thyroid cancer is present. Your doctor will perform the biopsy doing a procedure called fine needle aspiration. Or they may do surgery if they need a larger sample.