Learn about thyroid cancer screening tests

Posted by Dr. Le Thi Huong - General Doctor - Medical Examination Department - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital

Thyroid cancer is most often diagnosed in men and women between the ages of 45 and 54. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women aged 20 to 34 years. Women are about three times more likely to develop thyroid cancer than men. Therefore, thyroid cancer screening tests are important for early detection and treatment.

Screening is finding cancer before the person has any symptoms. This can help detect cancer in its early stages. When abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, treatment can be easier. By the time symptoms appear, the cancer may have already begun to metastasize.
So this information will help your doctor recommend who should be screened for cancer, what screening tests should be used, and how often they should be performed. Screening tests may also be done when you have no symptoms of cancer.
In case the results of the screening test are abnormal, you need to have some more tests to confirm whether you have cancer or not. These are called diagnostic tests.

2. Learn about thyroid cancer Thyroid cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancerous) cells form in the tissues of the thyroid gland. Thyroid cancer is found more often in women. Radiation exposure also increases the risk of thyroid cancer. The thyroid is a gland near the windpipe. It is shaped like a butterfly, with a right lobe and a left lobe. The small waist in the middle connects the two lobes. A healthy thyroid gland is about the size of a walnut. The thyroid gland is involved in the synthesis of iodine, a mineral found in some foods and in iodized salt, to help make certain hormones. Thyroid hormone is involved in:
Controls heart rate and body temperature as well as the rate at which food is converted into energy; Control the amount of calcium in the blood. Thyroid cancer is most often diagnosed in men and women between the ages of 45 and 54. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women aged 20 to 34 years. Women are about three times more likely to develop thyroid cancer than men. Therefore, screening for thyroid cancer is important for early detection and treatment. The number of people diagnosed with thyroid cancer has increased for at least 40 years, but the number of people dying from prostate cancer thyroid remains the same or slightly decreased. The increase in thyroid cancer rates seems to have leveled off in recent years, and the percentage of thyroid tumors smaller than 1cm in size has dropped. Most cases of thyroid cancer respond to treatment and are usually curable.

Tests are used to screen for different types of cancer when a person has no symptoms. Thyroid cancer that does not cause symptoms can be detected in the following cases:
Routine physical examination when the doctor examines the patient's neck for lumps (nodules) or swelling in the neck, lymph nodes, or anything else that looks abnormal. Thyroid ultrasound . 4. Risks of thyroid cancer screening The risks of thyroid cancer screening include the following:
Thyroid cancer can be overdiagnosed. Possible false-negative test results: Screening test results can be normal despite having thyroid cancer. A person who receives a false-negative test result (a result that shows no cancer when cancer is actually present) can delay seeking medical attention even when symptoms are present. Possible false-positive thyroid cancer screening test results: Screening test results may appear abnormal even though cancer is not present. False-positive test results (results that show cancer when there isn't) can be cause for concern and are often followed by more tests and procedures (such as fine-needle aspiration biopsy). ), this also has risks. Screening tests have risks: Diagnostic tests (such as fine-needle aspiration biopsy) and cancer treatments (such as surgery and radioactive iodine therapy) may have risks serious risks, including physical and emotional problems. However, these do not negate the importance of screening for thyroid cancer. Therefore, people who are at high risk and have signs of thyroid cancer should go to a medical facility for examination and screening for thyroid cancer.
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