How are thyroid nodules diagnosed?
Sometimes you can feel the nodule yourself or your doctor may discover it during an exam. More often your doctor will need to order one or more of the following tests: • Thyroid hormone level test. This is a blood test that checks the levels of hormones secreted by the thyroid gland. Most often, the hormone levels are normal despite the presence of nodules (abnormal levels are sometimes associated with noncancerous nodules), so your doctor will likely need to order other tests listed below. • Fine-needle biopsy of the thyroid gland. With this test, done in your doctor’s office, a very thin needle is used to withdraw a sample of cells from one or more thyroid nodules. The samples are then sent to a laboratory for analysis. Most nodules diagnosed using this method turn out to be noncancerous. If the analysis turns out to be “suspicious,” your doctor may repeat this test or may refer you for surgery to have the nodules removed to make a definitive diagnosis. • Thyroid ultrasound. This tes
Thyroid nodules usually are discovered by the doctor on a routine physical examination of the neck. Occasionally, a patient may notice a nodule as a small lump in their neck when looking in the mirror. Once a nodule is discovered, a physician will carefully evaluate the nodule. History. The doctor will need to take a detailed history, evaluating both past and present medical problems. If the patient is younger than 20 or older than 70 years of age, there is an increased likelihood that a nodule is cancerous. Similarly, if there is any history of radiation exposure (it was actually a standard treatment to apply radiation to the head and neck in the 1950’s to treat acne!), difficulty swallowing, or a change in the voice, the nodule is more likely to be cancerous. Although women tend to have more thyroid nodules than men, the nodules found in men are more likely to be cancerous. Despite its value, the history cannot differentiate benign from malignant nodules. Thus, many patients with ris
Most people don’t find thyroid nodules on their own, because the nodules aren’t easy to feel and don’t usually cause symptoms. Your doctor may have found a nodule on your thyroid when you were having a CT scan or ultrasound for another reason. Your doctor will do a physical exam and will ask you if you have symptoms or any changes in how you’ve been feeling. You may have tests to see how well your thyroid is working and to make sure the nodule is not cancer. Possible tests include: • A blood test to check the level of thyroid hormone in your body. • A thyroid scan, which uses radioactive material and a camera to see how well your thyroid gland is working. This is done if the level of thyroid hormone is high. • Thyroid ultrasound, to see the number and size of nodules, or biopsy, to check the nodule for cancer. How are thyroid nodules treated? If your nodule is not cancer and is not causing problems, your doctor may watch your nodule closely. If your thyroid nodule is causing hyperthyro
Most people don’t find thyroid nodules on their own, because the nodules aren”t easy to feel and don’t usually cause symptoms. Your doctor may have found a nodule on your thyroid when you were having a CT scan or ultrasound for another reason. Your doctor will do a physical exam and will ask you if you have symptoms or any changes in how you”ve been feeling. You may have tests to see how well your thyroid is working and to make sure the nodule is not cancer. Possible tests include: • A blood test to check the level of thyroid hormone in your body. • A thyroid scan, which uses radioactive material and a camera to see how well your thyroid gland is working. This is done if the level of thyroid hormone is high. • Thyroid ultrasound, to see the number and size of nodules, or biopsy, to check the nodule for cancer. How are thyroid nodules treated? If your nodule is not cancer and is not causing problems, your doctor may watch your nodule closely. If your thyroid nodule is causing hyperthy
Most thyroid nodules are found during a routine physical examination. After a nodule is found, your doctor will use lab tests to learn whether it is functioning as normal thyroid tissue or producing too much thyroid hormone (hyperfunctioning). However, these are not enough to rule out thyroid cancer.
