Thyroid cancer is the most rapidly increasing cancer in the U.S. Thyroid cancer is found when nodules (lumps or bumps) appear in the thyroid, which is either felt by the patient, the doctor, or found by imaging studies.

Discovering a thyroid lump on yourself may mean you need to find out if the lump is benign or malignant (cancerous). These lumps, called thyroid nodules, are quite common. Finding a thyroid nodule can seem scary, but the presence of a nodule doesn't automatically mean it's cancer.

Finding a lump in your breast can be quite upsetting. Add to that the thought of going through a procedure to find out what the lump is, and the situation may seem downright frightening.

Thyroid cancer is on the rise in the U.S. The good news is that the increase is partly due to better diagnostic methods. The other good news is the death rate is still very low compared to other cancers. In fact, incidental thyroid cancers are found in 25% of autopsy cases. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy is a quick and relatively non-invasive way to diagnose thyroid cancer and help patients start their treatment plans sooner.