Signs of the 'silent killer' cancer that can take YEARS to diagnose

People are being urged to watch out for symptoms of a rare kind of cancer that can take almost five years to diagnose.

Thyroid cancer is said to affect one in 20 people in the UK and can be difficult to spot due to its vague, 'silent' and often overlapping symptoms.

According to a study by researchers at the University of Aberdeen, it takes an average of 4.5 years for thyroid cancer to be diagnosed. The results revealed that out of 1,200 patients, nearly two thirds of cases took multiple doctor appointments.

Join our WhatsApp Top Stories and Breaking News group by clicking this link

And it wasn't until the symptoms got worse or more severe that a diagnosis was made. In response, the NHS has shared all the red flag signs to look out for.

Many of the symptoms are vague and can overlap with other potentially less-serious health conditions it’s possible you could have thyroid cancer for months or even years without knowing it.

This type of cancer is found in the thyroid gland, which is located at the lower part of your neck - below your voice box and above the windpipe. Your thyroid glands helps your body by producing and releasing hormones that can aid with digestion, heart and muscle health. The thyroid gland releases three separate hormones: triiodothyronine – known as T3, thyroxine – known as T4 and calcitonin.

You usually have several tests to check for thyroid cancer. If you have cancer these tests can also help your doctor decide what treatment you need. These tests include:

an ultrasound scan to create a picture of your thyroid gland

a test to look at a sample of cells from your thyroid (biopsy)

scans to find out if your cancer has spread (CT scan or MRI scan)

Your type of thyroid cancer depends on