Thyroid Nodule

Question: thyroid nodule? i just found out i have a hot toxic nodule on my thyroid ,,,does anyone know anything about this . does this mean it is cancer

Answer: Not necessarily. All this means is the nodule on your thyroid is more metabolically active than other parts of your thyroid. This could represent an area of goiter, for example, which is not malignant. Goiter can, over time, potentially become cancerous, though, and this should be further evaluated by an ultrasound-guided biopsy.

Question: What is a hypoechoic solid thyroid nodule? I just found out I have a single hypoechoic solid nodule my ultrasound report says most likely represents a small adenomatous or collateral nodule. My mother had her thyroid removed and her brother had thyroid cancer. I will be seeing an endocrinologist, but until I can get to her I am worried about what this means.

Answer: In general terms it means it reflects less ultrasound then surrounding tissue. Such nodules have 20 % risk of being malignant compared to 5 % risk for hyperechoic nodules

Question: Should I have my right side of my thyroid removed due to a bothersome nodule? I have a 1cm thyroid nodule on the right side of my thyroid. The doctor says it is probably not cancerous. But it does bother me. I have pressure in my neck all the time that is bothersome. It also effects swallowing meats and large vitamins. Should I have it removed? What is the surgery like? Will I have to stay in the hospital?

Answer: check into radiation therapy as well. My doc highly recommended it instead of the surgery. I had a goiter that went almost all the way around my neck. Radiation therapy is easy you take a couple of pills and your thyroid no longer works. If you do it though you will take a pill for the rest of your life in place of your thyroid. I'm not sure if the treatment will help your situation or not. Ask your Dr about it to be sure.

Question: what is the likelihood of this medical problem happening in the case of a thyroid nodule? Say that you have lipomas and after that develop a thyroid nodule. On the biopsy following surgery the nodule was a mass filled with folicules and completely encapsulated in a 2mm white milkish color shell. Can this mean the thyroid developed its own sort of lipoma? By definition lipomas are amorphous masses with solid/liquid mix inside a thin capsule and are wholly encapsulated.

Answer: Maybe one of these medical websites will help. http://www.revolutionhealth.com/symptom-… . Mayo symptom checker http://www.webmd.com has symptom checker http://www.merck.com/mmhe/index.html My best, Hope

Question: What does a thyroid nodule feel like? I have a little lump at the base of my throat, off to the left side, near the indentation between the tips of my collarbone. I noticed it a few weeks ago, went to my GP and he referred me to an ENT doctor. I have an appointment next week. My GP said in his referral that it's on the left part of my thyroid. It feels longer than it is wide. I'm wondering if anyone knows what a nodule feels like... I guess I'm just worried that it might be something serious!!

Answer: Usually the thyroid nodules are up near the center of the throat (as in to the side of where the adam's apple), not near the collarbone. I had one that stuck out so I was the one that found it and it was about the size of a walnut at took over the entire side of the thyroid. I had nodules on the other size that could not be felt and they were found via ultrasound. Needless to say, I do not have a thyroid anymore but all my nodules were benign even though thyroid cancer does run in my family. There can be lymph nodes or other things found in the nec that are enlarged. Often, you will be sent for an FNA - fine needle aspiration - to see what is in the lump. Imaging such as an ultrasound, CT or MRI may be ordered depending on what type of nodule it is as different types show up better with different methods. It is natural to worry but until you have any results, you will not know. Hopefully all will be well.

Question: What is your experience with a Thyroid Nodule? I am 25 years old and my doc found a small 3X3mm nodlue on my thyroid 2 years ago. I just got another ultrasound and she found that it has grown to 5X7mm. I have to go see an endocrinologist and she thought that he might suggest i get a biopsy. She wasnt too concerned that it was cancer, but since my thyroid labwork showed slight "hyperthyroid" activity she wants to figure this out. I know nodules are common especially in young women. I have no history of cancer in my family. Although my labwork showed slight hyperthyroid, I am experiencing the EXCAT OPPOSITE maor symptom...i am gaining weight instead of losing. to nodules contribute to hyper or hypo thyroidism? Do they remove small nodules like this or not usually? hmm. Is removal of part or all of the thyroid a common procedure?

Answer: It has been said that if you had to have cancer, and if you had your choice, thyroid cancer should be high on your list because the cure rate is so excellent. Therefore, if you or your doctor discover a nodule (lump) in your thyroid gland don't panic. Thyroid nodules are very common, but only about 5% of them contain cancer, and more than 90% of thyroid cancers are curable. To be sure to help yourself the most, follow your doctor's recommendations for the evaluation of your nodule to determine whether it is one of the 95% that are benign (harmless), or one of the 5% that are malignant. Blood tests measure thyroid function Here is what usually happens during an evaluation of a thyroid nodule: first you will have an examination and blood tests to determine whether the overall output of thyroid hormone is normal, increased, or decreased. Normal results are usually obtained, because thyroid nodules usually do not produce thyroid hormone, and also do not interfere with the function of the rest of the thyroid gland. Those few nodules that do actively produce thyroid hormone without regard to the body's needs are called autonomous nodules. Patients with these nodules may become hyperthyroid if the blood level of thyroid rises above normal. These nodules are nearly always harmless. Top On the other hand, sometimes nodules develop in thyroid glands that do not produce normal amounts of thyroid hormone, and blood levels of thyroid hormone in such patients may therefore be low. A very common condition in which this occurs is chronic thyroiditis. The disorder is also known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis in honour of the Japanese physician who first described it in 1912. In this condition, antibodies directed against the thyroid appear in the body, and often can be detected in the blood. Although a nodule in a patient with Hashimoto's thyroiditis is probably part of the thyroiditis, thyroid cancers are sometimes seen in these patients, so further study of such a nodule usually is necessary. A very uncommon form of thyroid cancer, medullary cancer, produces a substance called calcitonin. Blood tests can detect calcitonin, sometimes even before these nodules can be felt. Since medullary thyroid cancer often runs in families, the calcitonin test can be done to make the diagnosis early when the disease is highly curable. However since this disorder is uncommon, serum calcitonin is checked routinely only when there is a family history of this type of thyroid cancer. Top Thyroid scan may help An important and widely used initial screening test for thyroid nodules is the thyroid scan. If you have a thyroid scan, you will be given a tiny amount of radioactive material that is taken up by your thyroid. Imaging machines detect the radioactivity and record it on film to produce a picture showing the distribution of the radioactivity in your thyroid. Thyroid nodules may show up on scanning as zones of decreased activity ("cold" nodules) or zones of increased activity ("hot" nodules). Hot nodules almost never contain cancer. Most cold nodules are also harmless, but since thyroid cancers usually appear as cold nodules as well, all cold nodules require further study. Some physicians advise an ultrasound test to determine whether a cold nodule is solid (as are most tumors whether or not they contain cancer) or a fluid-filled cyst. Ultrasound studies are being ordered less and less often, because needle biopsy will provide the same information, and also can provide cells and tiny tissue fragments for microscopic study by pathologists. Top Needle biopsy Needle biopsy may sound frightening, but a local anesthetic is used, so that usually you will not have much pain, only a sensation of pressure or mild discomfort. Needle biopsies are of two basic types. If you are to have a fine needle biopsy, the physician doing it will use a very thin needle to withdraw thyroid cells. Ordinarily, several samples are taken from different parts of the nodule to ensure that the nodule has been studied thoroughly. Since large needle biopsy is done with a bigger needle that can take a core of tissue from the nodule, these larger tissue samples are easier for most pathologists to interpret. However, the fine needle biopsy which is simpler and produces less discomfort is the more commonly performed biopsy procedure. It takes a few days to obtain the final report from the pathologist who examines the biopsy specimens. The report will usually indicate one of the following findings: The nodule is benign (not cancer). This is the result obtained in approximately two-thirds of patients from whom enough tissue has been obtained in the biopsy test. Moreover this diagnosis by an experienced pathologist is highly reliable. The risk of overlooking a cancer is generally less than 5%, and less than 1% in medical centres with the most experience. Generally, these nodules need not be removed. Instead, your doctor may recommend treatment with thyroid hormone in an attempt to shrink the nodule, or at least prevent further growth. If the nodule fails to shrink, or enlarges during treatment, the biopsy can be repeated or the nodule removed surgically. Top The pathologist's diagnosis at surgery is almost always the same as that obtained from the needle biopsy. Even when enlargement of a nodule does occur, it is more likely to be caused by inner bleeding, degeneration, or inflammation than by malignancy. The nodule is malignant (cancer). In my practice about 10% of nodules from which needle biopsy produces specimens adequate for diagnosis are malignant. Such nodules should be removed. Definite or highly suspicious findings of malignancy are nearly always confirmed at surgery. The extent of the operation performed depends upon the type of cancer, the extent of disease determined by tests before the operation, and also the findings during surgery. The specimen is inadequate to make any diagnosis. Pathologists experienced with needle biopsy work tend to be very fussy about making diagnoses unless they are confident that sampling of the nodule has been adequate. Some thyroid nodules are composed of dense fibrous tissue, or have undergone such extensive degeneration that recognizable thyroid tissue cannot be obtained. In this situation it is usually best to repeat the biopsy. Other nodules are too small or too deep in the neck to permit needle biopsy. If an adequate specimen cannot be obtained, or if another needle biopsy is impractical, the decision to operate or just observe a thyroid nodule may be based on the physician's experience in evaluating nodules, the physical examination, and the test described above. In some cases your physician may decide to treat you with thyroid hormone for three to six months or longer in the hope that this treatment will cause the nodule to disappear, or at least to shrink as evidence that your nodule is harmless. If it does not get smaller, but instead enlarges, your physician is likely to recommend removal of the nodule in an operation. Top The biopsy specimen contains sizable amounts of thyroid cells or tissue, but the microscopic findings permit neither the diagnosis nor exclusion of thyroid cancer. About 18% of nodules for which needle biopsy produces specimens thought to be adequate for diagnosis have these inconclusive findings. The only way to establish a diagnosis on these nodules is to remove them surgically and carefully study them microscopically, looking for signs of malignancy. Still, most of these nodules (about 90%) are benign. Diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules require skill and experience on the part of all physicians who participate in the evaluation. Needle biopsy has greatly improved the accuracy of diagnosis. In my clinic, the proportion of nodule patients for whom surgery is advised has been reduced significantly and, at the same time, a number of cancers that otherwise might have been overlooked have been identified and promptly treated. Above all, if you think you have a lump in your thyroid, have it checked by your doctor. Most nodules are benign and cared for easily. But even those that do turn out to contain cancer are unlikely to develop into a life-threatening problem, since most thyroid cancers are curable. However, the earlier the treatment is given, the better the result will be for you.

Question: Does anyone here have a thyroid nodule that is solid and cold? What are the chances of it being malignant? I have had blood tests to check thyroid functioning - all normal. I have also had an ultrasound and an uptake and scan. I have an appointment with an endocrinologist next and I was just wondering if there was anyone else out there going through the same thing.

Answer: Thyroid nodes are very common, particularly in women, and more particularly after age 40. 99.5% of all thyroid nodes are non-cancerous. of the .5% that are malignant, the 3 most common forms have a 90% cure rate. Run the numbers, and the chances of dying from this are less than 1: 50,000. Dont be too concerned at this point.

Question: Can a small thyroid nodule cause symptoms? Doctor's have sent me blood work 3 times end it is always normal, but i had an ultrasound done and i have a small nodule on left side of my thyroid my thyroids lookes abnormal. and have symptoms like tremors in my hands i feel jittery, anxious, palpitations, hair falling out,trouble swallowing, have mood swings, i feel sleepy all day, muscles fell weak, low body temperature, could this be the nodule i have or is it just anxiety?

Answer: Make sure you get tested for celiac disease. I basically had all of those and my labs came back mildly hypothyroid, but it didn't explain all the symptoms including the anxiety and shakiness. I found out later that I had celiac disease which causes thyroid problems. All of those symptoms are associated with celiac disease. It's an autoimmune disease caused by gluten intolerance so the cure is a gluten free diet. Let me know if you have any questions. I accept pm's. http://thyroid.about.com/cs/latestresear… http://www.csaceliacs.org/celiac_symptom… http://www.celiac.com/articles/1106/1/Ce… http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases… oh, and also, there is such a thing as subclinical hypothyroidism. It's where you have all the symptoms, but your labs are normal. Many doctors recognize it now. Also, get your labs and look at them to make sure they aren't using an outdated scale. That's what happened to me. My TSH was like 4.5 and the doctor told me it was normal. It wasn't.

Question: Can benign thyroid nodule become malignant cancer? 1) say biopsy shows nodule is benign, fine, but how do i know this will not turn into malignant cancer in future ? 2) should i be repeating biopsy every month or what? 3) and can (numerous) biopsies get the nodule to become malignant? 4) anyone whose biopsy detected benign nodule but this ended up being malignant cancer after some time?

Answer: my best friend of 20 years + had exactly the same as this. When she was around 35 she developed a lump in her neck - the doctor did a biopsy and the results came back benign. He gave her the choice, leave the lump there as it is harmless or, have it removed. I told her to have it removed as I wouldn't want a lump in me. So, she gets it removed and as procedure, they test it. They then discover it is cancerous - she goes back in for a major operation to have her whole tyriod removed and is now on tyroxine. Remember that a biopsy only removes a small area of tissue and if that area isn't cancerous then the results will be clear. Hope this helps.

Question: I was diagnosed to have a thyroid nodule and told to do an ultrasound after 6 months.? I did not do that due to insurance issues and cost. Also, I had not had any problems related to my thyroid that I noticed. Recently I notice a lump on the right side of my neck. Has anyone had the same symptoms? And, how urgent should I be about getting an ultrasound done?

Answer: You will be surprised to know the numerous things the thyroid controls, it's amazing. I had a nodule on mine, my heart was racing, I was sweating profusely, I lost weight, I couldn't concentrate well, my female times were very rough, my skin was dry, I felt like passing out a lot, etc. The symptoms go on and on. If you can, you should get the ultrasound done. All hospitals have social workers that will set up payment plans for you, if needed. Whatever doctor you see, tell them you need the most cost effective testing. There are so many things they can do. I started out with blood work. Then I had a Nuclear Medicine test where they had me take an iodine pill and lay under a camera that took pictures of the amount of iodine that goes to the thyroid, lets them see if the nodule is active or inactive. I never had an ultrasound at all. So if you tell them, cost effective, maybe they can work out a plan for you. I had surgery, removed 1/2 my thyroid and 10 years later had the rest killed with radioactive iodine (massive dose). With a nodule, it usually has to be surgically removed if it is interfering with thyroid activity. Get it checked. Good luck.