How is recurrent thyroid cancer diagnosed?

While certain findings on physical examination or follow-up testing may suggest recurrence of thyroid cancer, definitive diagnosis may require examination of a sample of tissue taken from a suspected site of recurrence. In this situation, sampling may be performed with a fine needle aspiration biopsy, or with an incisional biopsy if indicated. The goal in either case is to obtain a sample of tissue that can be analyzed by a pathologist to determine whether or not it represents thyroid cancer.

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