MINIMAL THYROID CANCER DISCOVERED BY CERVICAL LYMPH NODE METASTASES

Five cases with minimal thyroid cancers diagnosed by biopsy of the cervical lymph nodes are reported. All were female and their histological findings were papillary carcinoma. Of interest was the fact that two of the five cases had double carcinomas with cervical carcinoma and breast cancers respectively. Approximately 16 percent of thyroid cancer appears to include minimal thyroid cancer metastasizing to the cervical lymph nodes. Therefore, palpation of the neck must be done carefully to detect the preceding node metastasis in the neck. However, if enlarged cervical lymph nodes are palpated, biopsy is mandatory for precise diagnosis and early detection.