Thyroid Cancer, Nodules and Other Diseases

Thyroid cancer care with specialized treatments and the careful attention you deserve.

Book Now with a Thyroid Cancer Surgeon

Your thyroid gland is a delicate area of tissue in your neck that produces important chemical messengers (hormones). Cancer, nodules and other issues can affect the thyroid’s ability to do its job or make you feel sick. But there’s hope at Nuvance Health® Cancer Institute.


We are among a select few programs in New York’s Hudson Valley and Western Connecticut with doctors who specialize in treating these conditions. We offer a broad range of services to carefully diagnose what’s going on and meet your needs. And our extensive approach means we take care of the small details that make a difference in your recovery.

More Information About Your Thyroid Gland and Thyroid Disease

Your thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system. It produces hormones that affect certain body functions, including bone development, heart rate and digestion.

Issues affecting your thyroid may include:

  • Cancer: Abnormal cells that grow uncontrollably and may spread to other areas of the body
  • Nodules: Noncancerous abnormal thyroid growths that sometimes become large enough to affect nearby organs (goiter)
  • Other diseases: Noncancerous conditions including overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)

Thyroid Cancer, Nodule and Disease Care at Nuvance Health: Why Choose Us?

You have access to a team that includes a thyroid cancer and disease specialist who is fellowship-trained in endocrine surgery. This level of training gives you access to advanced procedures that are not widely available in the region. The team works together to deliver the right treatments with the careful attention you deserve. Highlights of our program include:

  • Diagnosis and assessment:
    We hold ourselves to high care standards, so you receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriate care. A variety of techniques enable us to assess abnormal growths, including blood tests to evaluate hormone levels. Your evaluation may include a neck ultrasound, which is an imaging test using soundwaves.
  • Personalized treatments:
    We consider your unique situation and develop a personalized care plan, which may or may not include surgery. Thyroid nodules typically don’t need surgery, but thyroid cancers often do. The surgeon explains your options, including risks and benefits, so you feel confident about the care you’re receiving.
  • Experience with other rare endocrine disorders:
    The team specializes in treating other types of endocrine tumors, some of which are rare. You receive trusted care that reflects current research. Learn more about endocrine neoplasia.
  • Ongoing care:
    For thyroid nodules, ongoing monitoring enables us to detect small changes that might require additional testing or treatment. You may also need monitoring after cancer surgery to check for new growths.
  • Convenience:
    You receive monitoring at a convenient location. If you have an endocrinologist with whom you prefer to work, we are available as necessary to answer questions. If you do not have an endocrinologist, the team may continue seeing you.

Diagnosing Thyroid Cancer, Nodules and Disease

You may need one or more tests depending on your symptoms and health history.

Your care may include:

  • Blood test: We check thyroid hormone levels using a sample of your blood.
  • Fine needle aspiration biopsy: Using real-time imaging, we guide a thin needle to the abnormal tissue's location and take a sample (biopsy). Doctors examine the biopsy under a microscope.
  • Neck ultrasound: This test uses high-frequency soundwaves to provide an enhanced view of the tissue in your neck.
  • Flexible laryngoscopy: If the cancer or a nodule affects your vocal cords, this test allows us to evaluate them. After numbing the area, we slide a tiny camera down your throat for a closer look.

Surgery Treatments for Thyroid Cancer and Nodules

Surgery is often necessary to remove:

  • Thyroid cancer
  • A large thyroid nodule
  • A nodule that produces hormones and does not respond to medications

Surgical treatments available at Nuvance Health include:

  • Total thyroidectomy: We remove the thyroid. After surgery, you receive thyroid replacement hormone by taking pills (thyroid hormone therapy). You will need to be on these pills for life.
  • Thyroid lobectomy: If cancer is limited to one part of the thyroid gland, we remove that section (lobe) and leave the healthy one.
  • Neck dissection: This option is for cancers that have spread to nearby tissue, such as the lymph nodes. We make an incision in your neck to access and remove the affected tissue.

Nonsurgical Treatments for Thyroid Cancer

Nonsurgical treatments we offer include:

  • Radioactive iodine: This treatment uses low levels of a radioactive substance to destroy trace levels of cancer that remain after surgery.
  • Chemotherapy: You receive cancer-fighting drugs. Chemotherapy may be right for you if you have a fast-growing cancer and can’t have surgery. Read more about chemotherapy.
  • Radiation therapy: You may receive radiation therapy in addition to chemotherapy if you are unable to have surgery. This treatment uses focused beams of energy to break up cancer cells, making it more difficult for them to grow and spread. Read more about radiation therapy.

Supportive Care

After surgery, you may need additional therapies to help you recover. If you experience muscle soreness in your neck, physical therapists guide you through gentle exercises to relieve it. Occupational therapists help you find new methods for completing daily tasks that reduce neck strain. Get more information about supportive care.