Clinical diagnosis of thyroid cancer

In a survey of 293 patients with carcinoma of the thyroid, a goitre or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck were the commonest symptoms and a mass confined to one lobe the commonest sign. Hardness of the mass was an important diagnostic feature, and at least two-thirds of the tumour could be recognized before operation. It is suggested that the preoperative evaluation of thyroid swellings should be classified as benign, cancer suspected, and cancer probable.