If signs and symptoms
suggest that a patient has thyroid cancer, we will perform tests to confirm
the diagnosis and help guide treatment.
Our thyroid cancer
diagnosis specialists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have access to
many of the most advanced diagnostic tools available, and we offer expertise
that few other institutions can match.
Endocrinologists Iram Hussain, M.D., ECNU, Alex Tessnow, M.D., ECNU, and Jeffrey Zigman, M.D., Ph.D., ECNU, are specially certified to
perform ultrasound studies of the neck and thyroid
gland, as well as ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsies of
suspicious nodules and lymph nodes.
What to Expect
At the first visit,
we will coordinate any tests and procedures to help us accurately diagnose the
condition so we can prepare the best treatment plan.
If a thyroid nodule
exhibits certain suspicious features on ultrasound, we might recommend a biopsy, a procedure during which thin
needles are used to take tiny tissue samples of the nodule. We save two
samples: one to be examined under a microscope and, if that leads to uncertain
results, one to be sent for more refined molecular
diagnostic evaluation.
We will also answer
any questions patients have about the new diagnosis. A diagnosis of thyroid
cancer can be overwhelming, but we are here for support.
We will likely use
one or more of these techniques to provide an accurate diagnosis:
- Neck ultrasound: This procedure uses sound waves to
create images of the thyroid gland so the physician can look for
suspicious features of thyroid nodules and lymph nodes.
- Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA): This biopsy of the thyroid nodule
can usually be done in the doctor’s office or clinic. It provides tissue
that pathologists, working with the patient’s care
providers, can evaluate to diagnose diseases, inform treatments, and
provide important medical information.
- Blood tests: These tests can show whether the
thyroid gland is overproducing thyroid hormone, an important part of the
diagnostic evaluation of a thyroid nodule.
- Thyroid scan and uptake: If one or more thyroid nodules
are present and if overproduction of thyroid hormone is suspected based on
blood tests, a thyroid scan and uptake might be ordered to help determine
whether one of the nodules is the source of the excess thyroid hormone.
- Molecular diagnostic test: If the thyroid nodule biopsy yields
an indeterminate result, a molecular diagnostic test can help us best
assess the risk for thyroid cancer and recommend the most appropriate
management strategy.
- Genetic testing: Our Cancer Genetics Program is the only research-based
clinical program in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to offer testing and
counseling for all identified types of cancer.
After diagnosing thyroid
cancer, our team will discuss treatment options and make sure that patients
fully understand their treatment plan.
