Follicular thyroid cancer laboratory findings

Thyroid Cancer Main Page
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Overview
Classification Papillary Thyroid Cancer Follicular Thyroid Cancer Medullary Thyroid Cancer Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Thyroid Lymphoma
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Differential diagnosis

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ammu Susheela, M.D. [2]

Laboratory Findings

The following tests may be done:

• Thyroglobulin blood test to check for papillary or follicular cancer

• T3
• T4
• TSH

• Tumor marker tests
• Tumor markers are substances – usually proteins – in the blood that may indicate the presence of thyroid cancer. Tumour marker tests are used to check a person’s response to cancer treatment, but they can also be used to diagnose thyroid cancer. Tumour markers that may be measured are:

• Carcinoembryonic antigencarcinoembryonic antigenA protein that is normally found in small amounts in the blood of most healthy people but that can be higher in people who smoke tobacco or have certain types of cancer, particularly colorectal cancer.