SkiptomaincontentSearchMobileMenuGiveCareersIntranetMobileMenuBottomLinksHealthcare:CancerCareBaylorCollegeofMedicineHealthcareSpecialtiesOncologyCancerTypesThyroidCancerPoorlyDifferentiatedThyroidCancerNavigationMakeanAppointmentCalltodaytoscheduleanappointmentorfilloutanonlinerequestform.Ifrequestedbefore2p.m.youwillreceivearesponsetoday.Call713–798–2262Monday-Friday8a.m.-5p.m.ONLINERequestNowRequestnon-urgentappointmentsFindaPhysicianMyChartisapatient-accessiblewebsitethatenablesyoutointeractwithyourBaylorMedicinehealthcareteam.LoginPoorlyDifferentiatedThyroidCancersMasterContent“Poorlydifferentiated”referstocancercellsthathavemoreabnormalitiesandlooklesslikenormalcancercells.Poorlydifferentiatedthyroidcancerisuncommon,accountingforfewerthan5%ofthyroidcancers.Poorlydifferentiatedthyroidcancerismoreclinicallyaggressiveandcanbechallengingtotreat.Thesecancerscanspread (metastasizes)tothenecklymphnodes,lungs,andbones.Poorlydifferentiatedandwell-differentiatedthyroidcancerscanbepresentatthesametime.HeadingHurthleCellThyroidCancerContentHurthlecellthyroidcancer(alsocalledHurtlecellcarcinoma)isararesub-typeoffollicularthyroidcancer.Approximately3%ofthyroidcancercasesareHurthlecell.Hurthlethyroidcellscanbebenign(noncancerous)orcancerous.BenignHurthlecellsusuallydonotrecuroncetheyareremoved.Hurthlecellsarelargerthanfollicularcellsandhaveapink-stainingquality.Hurthlecellthyroidcancertendstoaffectolderadultsandhasaslightlypoorerprognosisthanfollicularandpapillarytypes.Itspreadstothelymphnodesabout20%ofthetime.HeadingSignsandSymptomsofHurthlecellthyroidcancerContentHurthlecellthyroidcancerdoesusuallynotcausesymptoms.SomepatientswithlargenodulesoradvancedHurtlecellthyroidcancermaynotice:DifficultyswallowingHoarsenessShortnessofbreathwhenlayingdownPain(rare)HeadingDiagnosisofHurtleCellThyroidCancerContentHurtlecellthyroidcancercannotbediagnosedbyfineneedleaspirationbiopsy(FNAB).TheonlywaytodiagnosecancerousHurthlecellsisbysurgicallyremovingthewholetumor.Thefollowingtestsmaybeo