Pathology and staging of thyroid cancer

Pathology refers to the examination of tissue under a microscope to find out whether it’s cancerous or non-cancerous and to determine the type of tumour it is. Different types of tumours can affect the thyroid.

Benign conditions

Benign conditions are non-cancerous. They do not spread to other parts of the body and are not usually life-threatening:

• hypothyroidism
• hyperthyroidism
• thyroiditis
• thyroid nodules
• goitre

Malignant tumours

Malignant tumours are cancerous growths that have the potential to metastasize (spread to other parts of the body):

• papillary thyroid cancer
• follicular thyroid cancer
• anaplastic thyroid cancer
• medullary thyroid cancer
• rare malignant tumours of the thyroid gland
  • lymphoma
  • squamous cell carcinoma
  • sarcoma

Once the type of tumour has been diagnosed, the doctor will also consider:

• the grade of the tumour (how abnormal the cancer cells look and behave)
• the stage of the cancer, including if it has spread (metastasized) and where it has spread
• prognostic factors (special characteristics that might influence the course of the disease)
• survival statistics for the particular type and stage of cancer

All of this information helps the doctor to make a treatment plan.

See a list of questions to ask your doctor about pathology and staging.