.tb-button{color:#f1f1f1}.tb-button--left{text-align:left}.tb-button--center{text-align:center}.tb-button--right{text-align:right}.tb-button__link{color:inherit;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;line-height:100%;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__link:hover,.tb-button__link:focus,.tb-button__link:visited{color:inherit}.tb-button__link:hover .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:focus .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:visited .tb-button__content{font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;text-shadow:inherit;text-transform:inherit}.tb-button__content{vertical-align:middle;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__icon{transition:all 0.3s ease;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;font-style:normal !important}.tb-button__icon::before{content:attr(data-font-code);font-weight:normal !important}.tb-button__link{background-color:#444;border-radius:0.3em;font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:0.76em;padding:0.55em 1.5em 0.55em} .tb-button[data-toolset-blocks-button="2a0f9ebf53084fd552abfd07d7abb963"] .tb-button__link { border-radius: 20px;font-size: 18px; } .tb-button{color:#f1f1f1}.tb-button--left{text-align:left}.tb-button--center{text-align:center}.tb-button--right{text-align:right}.tb-button__link{color:inherit;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;line-height:100%;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__link:hover,.tb-button__link:focus,.tb-button__link:visited{color:inherit}.tb-button__link:hover .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:focus .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:visited .tb-button__content{font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;text-shadow:inherit;text-transform:inherit}.tb-button__content{vertical-align:middle;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__icon{transition:all 0.3s ease;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;font-style:normal !important}.tb-button__icon::before{content:attr(data-font-code);font-weight:normal !important}.tb-button__link{background-color:#444;border-radius:0.3em;font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:0.76em;padding:0.55em 1.5em 0.55em} .tb-button[data-toolset-blocks-button="2cd4bdba69af8d43fd573049aae66426"] .tb-button__link { background-color: rgba( 224, 138, 0, 1 );border-radius: 20px;color: rgba( 255, 255, 255, 1 );font-size: 18px;color: rgba( 255, 255, 255, 1 ); } @media only screen and (max-width: 781px) { .tb-button{color:#f1f1f1}.tb-button--left{text-align:left}.tb-button--center{text-align:center}.tb-button--right{text-align:right}.tb-button__link{color:inherit;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;line-height:100%;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__link:hover,.tb-button__link:focus,.tb-button__link:visited{color:inherit}.tb-button__link:hover .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:focus .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:visited .tb-button__content{font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;text-shadow:inherit;text-transform:inherit}.tb-button__content{vertical-align:middle;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__icon{transition:all 0.3s ease;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;font-style:normal !important}.tb-button__icon::before{content:attr(data-font-code);font-weight:normal !important}.tb-button__link{background-color:#444;border-radius:0.3em;font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:0.76em;padding:0.55em 1.5em 0.55em}.tb-button{color:#f1f1f1}.tb-button--left{text-align:left}.tb-button--center{text-align:center}.tb-button--right{text-align:right}.tb-button__link{color:inherit;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;line-height:100%;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__link:hover,.tb-button__link:focus,.tb-button__link:visited{color:inherit}.tb-button__link:hover .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:focus .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:visited .tb-button__content{font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;text-shadow:inherit;text-transform:inherit}.tb-button__content{vertical-align:middle;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__icon{transition:all 0.3s ease;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;font-style:normal !important}.tb-button__icon::before{content:attr(data-font-code);font-weight:normal !important}.tb-button__link{background-color:#444;border-radius:0.3em;font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:0.76em;padding:0.55em 1.5em 0.55em} } @media only screen and (max-width: 599px) { .tb-button{color:#f1f1f1}.tb-button--left{text-align:left}.tb-button--center{text-align:center}.tb-button--right{text-align:right}.tb-button__link{color:inherit;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;line-height:100%;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__link:hover,.tb-button__link:focus,.tb-button__link:visited{color:inherit}.tb-button__link:hover .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:focus .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:visited .tb-button__content{font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;text-shadow:inherit;text-transform:inherit}.tb-button__content{vertical-align:middle;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__icon{transition:all 0.3s ease;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;font-style:normal !important}.tb-button__icon::before{content:attr(data-font-code);font-weight:normal !important}.tb-button__link{background-color:#444;border-radius:0.3em;font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:0.76em;padding:0.55em 1.5em 0.55em}.tb-button{color:#f1f1f1}.tb-button--left{text-align:left}.tb-button--center{text-align:center}.tb-button--right{text-align:right}.tb-button__link{color:inherit;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;line-height:100%;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__link:hover,.tb-button__link:focus,.tb-button__link:visited{color:inherit}.tb-button__link:hover .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:focus .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:visited .tb-button__content{font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;text-shadow:inherit;text-transform:inherit}.tb-button__content{vertical-align:middle;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__icon{transition:all 0.3s ease;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;font-style:normal !important}.tb-button__icon::before{content:attr(data-font-code);font-weight:normal !important}.tb-button__link{background-color:#444;border-radius:0.3em;font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:0.76em;padding:0.55em 1.5em 0.55em} } 
It’s Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month. Know the Risks and Treatment Options.
Most people who find a lump in their neck do not have cancer, and most who do have an excellent chance of a full recovery.
September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, a good time to learn about a gland you probably don’t think about much. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland that sits low in the front of your neck, just below your voice box. Dr. Lu Xu, MD, an endocrinologist at Sky Lakes Medical Center, says most thyroid cancers cause no symptoms early on. When symptoms do show up, they usually include a painless lump in the neck, swollen lymph nodes, hoarseness, or trouble swallowing. These signs are easy to confuse with allergies, acid reflux, or a lingering cold.
“The good news is that most thyroid nodules are not cancer,” Xu says. But if you have a lump that sticks around for more than a couple of weeks, you should have it checked.
Who Faces Higher Risk
Women have up to three times the risk of thyroid cancer than men, though men who develop it often have more advanced disease. Radiation exposure to the head or neck earlier in life is another known risk factor. Age plays a role in rare types, too. Only a small share of cases run in families or link to an inherited syndrome.
Xu notes that, unlike many cancers, this one is not strongly tied to smoking, alcohol, or diet, so most risk factors are simply out of your control. What you can do is limit unnecessary radiation and keep up with regular checkups.
How Doctors Find and Diagnose It
Doctors often find thyroid nodules by accident, during an imaging test ordered for something else. If a nodule turns up, an ultrasound is the next step to check its size and shape. Blood tests measure thyroid hormone levels, but Xu points out that these tests alone cannot confirm cancer. If a nodule looks concerning, a fine needle aspiration biopsy collects a small sample of cells for testing. When results are unclear, molecular testing helps clarify the results.
Treatment Depends on You
Treatment is highly individualized. Depending on the type and stage, options range from active surveillance for small, low-risk nodules to surgery that removes part or all of the thyroid. Some patients also need radioactive iodine therapy afterward.
Everyone who loses their thyroid needs hormone replacement, and Xu says the hormone itself causes no side effects when properly dosed, since it simply replaces what your body already makes. For rare, treatment-resistant cases, newer targeted therapies are now available.
Beyond the Diagnosis
“Patients often hear the word ‘cancer’ before they hear anything else,” Xu says, and patients feel overwhelmed. That is why Xu now pauses to explain each diagnosis clearly and put it in context, since most thyroid cancers grow slowly and respond well to treatment.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the overall five-year relative survival rate for thyroid cancer is 98.6% , and it climbs even higher for cancer caught while still localized. The American Cancer Society expects more than 45,000 new diagnoses in the United States this year, and the vast majority of those patients go on to live full, healthy lives.
What to Do if You Notice a Lump
Xu’s advice is, “Don’t panic. But don’t ignore it either.” Schedule an appointment with your primary care provider, who can examine you and order an ultrasound if needed. If a routine blood test flags an abnormal thyroid result, remember that it usually points to a common condition like an overactive or underactive thyroid, not cancer. Review any concerning results with your provider rather than assuming the worst. Early evaluation gives you answers, and for thyroid cancer, those answers are usually reassuring.
Karen Cristello, MBA Author
September 11, 2026
Health Observation | Preventive Health
Article by Topic
Media Links
More Stories
[gtranslate]
