An enlargement of the entire thyroid, part of the thyroid or a lump or nodule is sometimes noticed while looking in the mirror while applying makeup or shaving. There may be enlarged lymph nodes in the neck that can be felt and there may be pain in the thyroid (especially with anaplastic carcinoma). Thyroid cancers also rarely occur at the base of the tongue.
Pressure symptoms, including airway obstruction, hoarseness or difficulty swallowing, develop in fewer than 5 percent of patients.
