Thyroid cancer has seen a dramatic increase in the number of cases diagnosed due to increased detection. Of course, early detection and treatment is a good thing for prognosis.
All of these conditions can be discovered if you learn to examine your neck. 15-30 seconds can often help you discover lumps, nodules, goiters and cancers that will signal an immediate need for assessment, confirmation and treatment by a physician. Given the relatively non-specific nature of symptoms related to the thyroid, your role in discovering thyroid disease is an important one. As is the case with other self-exams (e.g. breast, testicles), you will become more familiar with your anatomy and will be most likely to pick up on any changes with repeated exams.
