Galectin-3 and human bone marrow endothelial cell marker (HBME-1), which play an important role in tumor growth and metastasis, are good markers for thyroid cancer. The diagnosis specificity and accuracy for thyroid cancers have been increased with the application of 18F-fluordeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). The value of Galectin-3, HBME-1 expression and 18F-FDG imaging in differentiated thyroid carcinoma is reviewed in the present paper.