Thyroid cancer is relatively rare but it needs early detection and effective treatment. Thyroid cancer constitutes to 2.1% of all cancers in the World and the worst part is “there is no way to prevent it”.
The first step in getting effective treatment is getting an accurate diagnosis. There are various laboratories and radiodiagnostic centres designed for diagnosing thyroid cancer.
Thyroid cancer may not be the term that is widely used as compared to other types of cancer. Still you need to be aware of symptoms, diagnosis and complications. Here is what you need to know about Thyroid cancer.
Thyroid cancer: Overview
The thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped gland located at the front of the neck. It can be felt or seen as a bulge when enlarged.
Thyroid cancer is a cancerous tumour or growth. It is more common in females than males. Even children can develop thyroid cancer.
The thyroid gland produces various hormones and also interacts with hormones to regulate body functions.
Hormones affected by the thyroid gland are- Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), Thyrotropin-releasing hormone(TRH), Insulin, sex hormone and growth hormone.
Early Signs of Thyroid Cancer
Signs and symptoms of thyroid cancer may vary. Patients may feel and describe these symptoms in many ways. The following symptoms need to be assessed for thyroid cancer:-
- Neck lumps
- Change in shape and size of thyroid gland
- Changes in voice
- Visible changes of the skin over the thyroid gland
- Swollen lymph nodes which shows metastasis
- Neck pain
- UNEXPLAINED WEIGHT LOSS AND FATIGUE
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Difficulty in breathing
- Changes in menstrual cycle
- May be associated with psychological symptoms like- anxiety, depression, or irritability.
Diagnosis of Thyroid Cancer
Ganesh Diagnostic and Imaging Centre provides comprehensive diagnostic tests at one place.
Common tests used for diagnosing thyroid cancer:
Blood tests- A thyroid blood test checks the abnormality in the level of hormones which shows whether your thyroid is functioning properly or not.
Molecular testing- This test analyses the genetic roadmap of thyroid cancer which helps in tailoring the treatment plan.
Imaging test- Thyroid gland tumour size, shape and spread can be diagnosed with various diagnostic imaging tests like ultrasound, CT scan (Computed Tomography), Positron Imaging Tomography (PET) scan and MRI.
The effectiveness of CT Scan in detection of thyroid cancer and metastasis is limited.
More commonly Nuclear medicine scan is used to detect thyroid cancer.
Best PET-CT scan centre in Delhi for cancer detection to detect the thyroid gland in a comprehensive manner.
Seeking Medical Attention
Early detection and diagnosis significantly impact treatment outcomes. If there is suspicion or thyroid irregularities are noticed, you must consult with a doctor. Timely intervention and diagnosis is a key factor to treat the cancer on time.
There are a number of tests that may be used to diagnose thyroid cancer including pathology test, X-rays, Ultrasound , CT scan and MRI, nuclear imaging test. Each of these diagnostic test costs depends on the specific test being performed. First test the doctor recommended is an MRI test at low cost to diagnose thyroid cancer.
It is important to note that these costs are typically different so You can choose Ganesh Diagnostic in Delhi which provides affordable cost for diagnostic tests and flat 50%.
This makes them more affordable for many people to access the care you need.
Same goes for the treatment, cancer treatments are more expensive than others like chemotherapy and radiation therapy.