Given the proclivity of thyroid conditions to present with enlargements or lumps in the thyroid, a number of them can be mistaken for thyroid cancer. This makes proper diagnosis through an examination and a biopsy imperative in checking for thyroid cancer. Thyroid nodules, for instance, are non-cancerous growths that can present in the same area as thyroid cancer. Goltier also causes significant swelling in the neck and is similarly mistakable. Other conditions such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis or hypothyroidism can also cause symptoms that overlap with thyroid cancer. What’s more, is that certain thyroid conditions capable of mimicking the signs of thyroid cancer can actually increase a patient's risk of developing thyroid cancer over time.