A Small Lump Led to a Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis—and a New Appreciation for Life

When Julie “Jules” Stark noticed a small lump on the left side of her neck in April 2025, she wasn’t especially worried.

“I didn’t have any symptoms that I was aware of, other than this palpable small lump on my neck,” says Ms. Stark, 51, a licensed clinical social worker who lives in Delray Beach.

During a routine gynecology visit, she asked for an order for an ultrasound and planned to follow up with an ear, nose and throat specialist. That decision would eventually lead to a diagnosis she never expected.

After imaging, two cyst-like areas were drained and a lymph node was biopsied. The results initially came back benign. But when the areas filled with fluid again, her ENT recommended surgically removing them.

The pathology from that December 2025 procedure brought a jolt: papillary thyroid cancer.

“I was shocked,” Ms. Stark recalls simply.

Finding the Right Treatment Team

Ms. Stark and her family began researching her options, speaking with oncologists and head and neck surgeons in both Florida and New York.

“After gathering information and discussing everything with my internist/endocrinologist, we ultimately felt the greatest sense of confidence, reassurance and trust in choosing Dr. Udelsman at Baptist Health Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute to lead my care,” she says.



Robert Udelsman, M.D., MBA, is chief of endocrine surgery and director of the Endocrine Neoplasia Institute and is renowned for his innovative and highly successful surgical approach for performing parathyroid and thyroid operations.

Testing showed that the papillary thyroid cancer had spread to lymph nodes in her neck. Dr. Udelsman recommended a total thyroidectomy—removal of the entire thyroid gland—along with surgery to remove affected lymph nodes.

“He calmly and carefully explained that I would need a total thyroidectomy with left central neck dissection and left lateral modified radical neck dissection,” Ms. Stark says. “He explained, in simple and easy-to-understand terms, that my thyroid cancer had spread to my lymph nodes and that he would need to remove several chains of lymph nodes to ensure that all of the cancer was removed.”

She underwent surgery on April 7, 2026.

Radioactive Iodine Targets Remaining Thyroid Cancer Cells

Because papillary thyroid cancer can leave microscopic cells behind even after surgery, some patients also benefit from radioactive iodine treatment.

Noah Kalman, M.D., MBA, a radiation oncologist at Wertheim Cancer Institute, says the decision depends on factors including the characteristics of the original tumor, the number and size of affected lymph nodes and blood testing that includes thyroglobulin, a protein that can serve as a marker of remaining thyroid tissue.

“The goal of radioactive iodine is to kill residual papillary thyroid cancer cells that could remain after surgery,” Dr. Kalman says.

He describes radioactive iodine as the original “targeted therapy” in oncology because papillary thyroid cancer cells absorb iodine more readily than most other cells in the body.

Before treatment, patients follow a low-iodine diet to make any remaining thyroid cancer cells more receptive to radioactive iodine. They may also receive injections that temporarily stimulate thyroid cells.

“The low-iodine diet starves the residual papillary thyroid cancer cells of the iodine that they normally use leading up to treatment,” Dr. Kalman explains. “The preparation helps make the cells ‘hungry’ for iodine so they take up more of the radioactive iodine when it is administered.”

The treatment itself is surprisingly simple: patients just swallow a pill. For Ms. Stark, the preparation was harder than the treatment itself.

“The low-iodine diet, no dairy, low sugar for a vegetarian has been challenging,” she says, “but understanding the reason behind it has been motivating.”

Dr. Kalman says many patients feel the same way.

“The low-iodine diet is often the most difficult part of treatment because most of the salt in processed foods contains iodine,” he says.

Returning to Work—and to Life

Ms. Stark says her recovery from surgery has gone well. One of her biggest concerns was whether the operation might affect her voice—particularly important because she relies on it every day in her work as a therapist.

“I was nervous about my speaking voice, as I was told that it could be affected by this surgery and my voice is critical to my work as a therapist,” she says. “Thankfully, it was not affected at all and I was able to return to work within four to six weeks.”

She gradually resumed normal activities while performing exercises to restore neck mobility and avoiding heavy lifting during her recovery.

Following radioactive iodine treatment, patients typically undergo a whole-body scan that shows where the iodine has accumulated. Some activity where the thyroid once sat can be normal, Dr. Kalman says, while uptake in lymph nodes or other areas may prompt closer follow-up.

Although hearing that cancer had spread to her lymph nodes was frightening, Ms. Stark says reassurance about the outlook for papillary thyroid cancer helped her through treatment.

Supported and Cared For

Ms. Stark says she never has been as impressed with a healthcare system as she is with Wertheim Cancer Institute and cannot imagine having gone elsewhere.

“I was incredibly impressed by the level of precision and collaboration in my care. I felt supported and cared for,” she says. “Every aspect of the experience seemed thoughtfully designed. The signage throughout the Institute was clear and easy to follow, the check-in process was seamless, there was never a wait time, which seems unheard of today.”

Paying Attention to the Present

Dr. Kalman emphasizes that “papillary and other differentiated thyroid cancers have an excellent prognosis,” although treatment and follow-up must be individualized. After a total thyroidectomy, endocrinologists generally oversee long-term surveillance and manage the thyroid hormone replacement patients need for life.

For Ms. Stark, the experience has also reinforced something she already valued in her work as a therapist and also as a photographer and artist: paying attention to the present.

“Photography helps me to do that,” says Ms. Stark, whose striking images capture nature at its most beautiful. “It’s so important to be present in life.”

And through an unexpected diagnosis and months of treatment, she says she has discovered something else about herself.

“After this diagnosis, I have learned to be resilient,” she says.


Click here to learn more about head and neck cancer services and specialists available at Baptist Health Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute.