Normal Bloodwork Doesn’t Rule Out Thyroid Cancer: Thyroid Ultrasound Could Make an Important Difference

An estimated 45,240 Americans will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2026, with women accounting for more than 70% of new cases

TAMPA, FL, UNITED STATES, September 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, an important opportunity to raise awareness about a disease that can be difficult to detect through routine testing. At the Clayman Thyroid Center in Tampa, Florida, expert thyroid surgeons are encouraging individuals to understand an often-overlooked fact about thyroid cancer: normal thyroid bloodwork does not rule out thyroid cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 45,240 new cases of thyroid cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2026, including about 32,000 cases in women and 13,240 in men. Approximately 2,320 Americans are expected to die from the disease this year. Thyroid cancer represents about 2.1% of all new cancer diagnoses in the United States.

Women are particularly affected. Thyroid cancer occurs almost three times more often in women than in men, and the average age at diagnosis is 51. The latest National Cancer Institute data show an incidence rate of approximately 20 cases per 100,000 women compared with 7.4 per 100,000 men. Approximately 1.1% of Americans will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer at some point during their lifetime.

Yet one of the most important facts about thyroid cancer remains widely misunderstood: thyroid cancer typically cannot be detected or ruled out by routine thyroid blood tests.

The American Thyroid Association reports that blood tests generally do not help find thyroid cancer and that thyroid blood tests such as thyroid-stimulating hormone, or TSH, are usually normal even when cancer is present. Thyroid bloodwork evaluates how well the thyroid is functioning; it does not determine whether a thyroid nodule is cancerous.

That means a person can have a normal TSH and normal thyroid hormone levels while still having a thyroid nodule or thyroid cancer.

“One of the most important messages we want people to understand is that normal thyroid bloodwork does not mean that thyroid cancer has been ruled out,” said Rashmi Roy, MD, FACS, senior thyroid surgeon at the Clayman Thyroid Center. “Blood tests tell us how the thyroid is functioning, but they do not show us the structure of the thyroid. If there is a lump, nodule, neck change or other reason for concern, an ultrasound allows us to actually look at the thyroid and determine whether additional evaluation is needed.”

Who Is at Greater Risk for Thyroid Cancer?

Although thyroid cancer can affect anyone and many people diagnosed with the disease have no identifiable risk factors certain individuals have a higher risk. Women have a substantially higher incidence than men. Other recognized risk factors include a family history of thyroid cancer, certain inherited genetic conditions and a history of high-dose radiation exposure, particularly radiation to the head or neck during childhood. Thyroid cancer can occur at any age, although it is most common in adults in their 30s through 60s.

People with a parent, sibling or child who has had thyroid cancer have an increased risk, even when there is no known inherited syndrome in the family. Certain hereditary conditions, including multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2), can significantly increase the risk for medullary thyroid cancer.

Know Your Neck

Thyroid cancer often presents as a thyroid nodule or lump in the neck and may cause no other symptoms. In some cases, a larger thyroid nodule can contribute to difficulty swallowing or breathing, while hoarseness can occur less commonly. Many thyroid nodules are also discovered incidentally during imaging performed for unrelated medical reasons.

During Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, the Clayman Thyroid Center encourages people to “Know Your Neck” and understand when further evaluation may be appropriate. Visit www.knowyourneck.com for more information and for a video demonstration.

A new lump or nodule, neck swelling, persistent changes in the neck, difficulty swallowing, unexplained hoarseness or other concerns should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional. For more information about thyroid cancer, thyroid nodules and evaluation, visit the Clayman Thyroid Center.

About the Clayman Thyroid Center:
Founded by Dr. Gary Clayman, a nationally recognized leader in thyroid surgery and former Chief of Endocrine Surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Clayman Thyroid Center is one of the highest-volume thyroid surgery centers in the world. Located within the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa, Florida, the Center is a global destination for patients seeking expert care for thyroid disease and thyroid cancer, performing more thyroid surgeries than any other hospital in the United States. To learn more, visit www.thyroidcancer.com or call (813) 940-3130.

About Hospital for Endocrine Surgery
The Hospital for Endocrine Surgery is a campus of HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital focused on compassionate patient care and highly specialized treatment of endocrine tumors. We provide a wide array of services necessary for the diagnosis and surgical treatment of tumors of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands. Our team includes doctors, surgeons, nurses and technicians who have dedicated their careers to delivering the highest cure rates using the most advanced techniques available. HCA’s Hospital for Endocrine Surgery is the nation’s highest volume hospital for thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal tumors and cancers. To learn more visit www.hospitalforendocrinesurgery.com.

# # #

Diana Van Leuven
The VAN LEUVEN Company
+1 314-409-9051
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook

Media gallery