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Thyroid cancer presents differently in each person. After being diagnosed with thyroid cancer, our Dana-Farber Brigham 天美传媒 team will determine the stage of your cancer using . With the results of these studies, your doctor will assign your cancer a stage.

The stage of cancer is based on the size of a tumor at the time of diagnosis and whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or to other organs in your body. Knowing the stage of your cancer will help your healthcare team decide how best to treat it, including whether your cancer can be removed (resected) with surgery. In general, the higher the number, the more advanced your cancer is.

The stages of thyroid cancer depend on the type of cancer you have.

Papillary and follicular thyroid cancers

These cancers are staged depending on your age.

If you are younger than 55 years old:

• Stage I: The tumor may be any size and may have spread to nearby lymph nodes, but it has not spread to other parts of your body.
• Stage II: The tumor may be any size, may have spread to nearby lymph nodes and has also spread to other areas of the body.

If you are age 55 years or older:

• Stage I: The tumor is 4 cm or less in size and has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other areas of the body.
• Stage II: May be either of the following:
  • The tumor is 4 cm or less in size, and the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes but not to other areas of the body.
  • The tumor is larger than 4 cm in size and may have spread into nearby lymph nodes but has not spread to other areas of the body, except into the muscles around the thyroid.
• Stage III: The tumor may be any size and has spread to nearby tissues such as the nerves, windpipe, voice box or esophagus. It may have also spread to nearby lymph nodes but has not spread to other areas of the body.
• Stage IVA: The tumor may be any size and has grown into nearby large blood vessels or toward the spine. It may have spread to nearby lymph nodes but has not spread to other areas of the body.
• Stage IVB: The tumor is any size and may have grown into nearby lymph nodes, the muscles around the thyroid, the large blood vessels or toward the spine and has also spread to other areas of the body. It may have also spread to nearby lymph nodes.

Medullary Thyroid Cancer

Staging for medullary thyroid cancer is not dependent on age.

• Stage I: The tumor is 2 cm or smaller in size and has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other areas of the body.
• Stage II: May be either of the following:
  • The tumor is bigger than 2 cm in size but no larger than 4 cm across and has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other areas of the body.
  • The tumor may be any size and has spread to the muscles around the thyroid. Or the tumor is bigger than 4 cm in size but has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other areas of the body.
• Stage III: The tumor is any size and may have spread into the muscles around the thyroid. It has spread to lymph nodes around the thyroid but not to other areas of the body.
• Stage IVA: May be either of the following:
  • The tumor is any size and has grown into nearby tissues such as the nerves, windpipe, voice box or esophagus. It may have spread to the lymph nodes but has not spread to other areas of the body.
  • The tumor is any size and may have grown outside the thyroid into the muscles around the thyroid and to the lymph nodes in the chest, neck or throat. It has not spread to other areas of the body.
• Stage IVB: The tumor may be any size and has spread to nearby blood vessels or tissue near the spine. It may have spread to the lymph nodes but has not spread to other areas of the body.
• Stage IVC: The tumor may be any size and has spread to other areas of the body, such as the bones, lungs or brain.

Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

Staging for anaplastic thyroid cancer is not dependent on age and always starts at stage IV.

• Stage IVA: The tumor may be any size but has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other areas of the body.
• Stage IVB: May be one of the following:
  • The tumor may be any size and may have spread to nearby lymph nodes but has not spread to other areas of the body.
  • The tumor may be any size and has grown into the muscles around the thyroid. It may have spread to nearby lymph nodes, but it has not spread to other areas of the body.
  • The tumor may be any size and has spread to nearby tissues such as the nerves, windpipe, voice box, large blood vessels or esophagus. It may have spread to nearby lymph nodes or toward the spine, but it has not spread to other areas of the body.
• Stage IVC: The tumor may be any size and has spread to other areas of the body, such as the lungs, liver or brain.

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When Thyroid Cancer Spreads

Although most thyroid cancers remain confined to the thyroid, some may spread to nearby lymph nodes or distant organs such as the lungs, bones, liver, brain, or skin. Spread can be present at the time of diagnosis or discovered later during follow-up. Doctors use imaging tests—like ultrasound, CT Scan, or specialized scans with radioactive iodine—to monitor for signs that cancer has traveled. Even when thyroid cancer spreads, treatment options are available, and close monitoring ensures it can be addressed promptly.