© 2021 American yroid Association. All rights reserved.
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ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSIS OF ATC
Symptoms
• ATC can start as a neck mass, or bump in the throat area.
• e tumor growing on the thyroid can make your voice hoarse
by invading the nerve that controls your vocal cords.
• e tumor can also make it difficult to breathe by blocking
your windpipe.
• Difficulty swallowing, frequent coughing and coughing up
blood, and loud breathing are other potential symptoms.
• Sometimes people can have ATC for a while and not notice it
because the tumor remains small.
Evaluation and Diagnosis
• Evaluating a patient with ATC usually consists of one or more
of the following:
› Laboratory tests (e.g. blood tests)
› Imaging (e.g. PET/CT scans or MRIs)
› Examinations/Procedures (e.g. laryngoscopy)
› Biopsies (e.g. ultrasound with fine needle aspiration,
or FNA)
• Diagnosis of ATC would be based on biopsy (or other tissue
assessment – i.e. core biopsy, excisional biopsy, surgical
pathology)
• In addition to confirming a diagnosis of ATC, your healthcare
providers will assess the tumor to look for genetic mutations
that can help determine the best treatment option(s).
• It is important to complete all tests and assessments as quickly
as possible. Do not delay!
