Early detection methods for thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer is a common head and neck tumor in our lives. The vast majority of thyroid cancer patients are young and middle-aged people, and women are much more likely to suffer from this type of disease, so we must conduct timely examinations to completely avoid the occurrence of this type of disease. The following are some early detection methods for thyroid cancer.

A normal thyroid gland is thin and soft, and cannot be seen or touched. Only when it is swollen can you feel a lump at the collar. If the lump is painless and isolated, it cannot be ruled out as thyroid cancer. Because thyroid cancer has no obvious symptoms in the early stages, it is not easy for patients to detect it early. Even if a lump appears, it is often mistaken for other diseases and treatment is delayed.

Shape of the lump: If the shape is like a butterfly, it is often seen in endemic goiter, thyroiditis and some hyperthyroidism; if a round lump appears in a certain part of the thyroid gland, it is often seen in thyroid cysts and thyroid cancer.

Size of the tumor: If the tumor is diffuse or multiple nodules, it is usually local goiter. However, if the diameter of the cyst exceeds 2 cm, thyroid cancer should be suspected.

Smoothness and hardness of the lump: Use your thumb and index finger to carefully touch the surface of the lump. If the surface is smooth, it is mostly endemic goiter; if the surface is not smooth, it may be thyroiditis. If a single nodule is enlarged and the surface is not smooth and feels solid, cancer should be suspected.

Growth rate of the tumor: Endemic goiter grows slowly and the course of the disease can last for several years; the course of benign tumors and cysts may be several months to several years; while the tumor of thyroid cancer grows rapidly, and swelling becomes obvious within a dozen days.

Whether lymph nodes are palpable: If hard lymph nodes are palpated around the thyroid gland, thyroid cancer with local lymph node metastasis should be highly suspected

In addition, preventing thyroid cancer is not just about supplementing iodine. Because excessive iodine intake can also lead to thyroid cancer. In fact, the pathogenic factors of thyroid cancer are not clear, and may be related to soil, genetic factors, radiation exposure, etc. Therefore, in life, you should avoid head and neck X-ray exposure; avoid using estrogen; avoid eating fatty, spicy and other foods.

The above detailed introduction to thyroid cancer is hopefully useful to you who suffer from thyroid cancer. In addition, if you suffer from thyroid cancer, you must receive symptomatic treatment for thyroid cancer according to the condition of the disease. At the same time, during the treatment of thyroid cancer, you must take more preventive measures for thyroid cancer. Only in this way can you fundamentally treat thyroid cancer.