How is thyroid cancer staged? What are the symptoms of thyroid cancer?

Thyroid cancer can be divided into stage I, stage II, stage III, and stage IV based on the size of the tumor and whether lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis occurs.

1. Stage I thyroid cancer: In stage I thyroid cancer, the tumor is relatively small, only less than 2 cm in size, with no obvious symptoms, no local tumor tissue metastasis, and a good prognosis.
2. Stage II thyroid cancer: Stage II thyroid cancer has a larger tumor and more obvious local symptoms, but the local lesions are only located in the thyroid gland and do not metastasize to other parts of the body.
3. Stage III thyroid cancer Stage III thyroid cancer gradually increases in size, and the symptoms are particularly prominent. Patients also have symptoms such as hoarseness and difficulty swallowing. Local lesions have metastasized to other adjacent organs or tissues through lymph nodes.
4. Stage IV thyroid cancer Stage IV thyroid cancer is the late stage of thyroid cancer. Patients are unable to communicate through normal speech. Local tumor tissue metastasizes to other parts such as the lungs, liver, and bone marrow through blood types, and the prognosis is poor.