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Most thyroid nodules aren't serious and don't cause symptoms. Only a small percentage of thyroid nodules are cancerous. You often won't know you have a thyroid nodule until your doctor discovers it during a routine medical exam.
Your doctor may recommend a thyroid scan to help evaluate thyroid nodules. During this test, an isotope of radioactive iodine is injected into a vein in your arm. You then lie on a table while a special camera produces an image of your thyroid on a computer screen.
Or you may develop swollen lymph nodes in your neck. If you're experiencing any of these issues and are concerned, make an appointment with your doctor. Most often, diagnosing thyroid cancer starts with the physical exam. Your doctor will feel for physical changes in your neck and the thyroid.
ANSWER: Lumps in the thyroid — called thyroid nodules — are common. The likelihood of having one is higher in women and increases with age. It’s estimated that up to half of adults over 50 may have one. There are various reasons why thyroid nodules may develop. Thankfully, around 90% to 95% of thyroid nodules are benign, or noncancerous.
A goiter may be an overall enlargement of the thyroid, or it may be the result of irregular cell growth that forms one or more lumps (nodules) in the thyroid. A goiter may be associated with no change in thyroid function or with an increase or decrease in thyroid hormones.
The way a thyroid nodule looks on an ultrasound image helps your provider determine if it's likely to be cancer. Signs that a thyroid nodule is more likely to be cancerous include calcium deposits (microcalcifications) within the nodule and an irregular border around the nodule.
Sometimes, patients feel the nodules themselves or have symptoms that bring the nodules to their health care team’s attention. Fortunately, most nodules are benign, but a workup is necessary to determine whether there may be thyroid cancer present.
Throat cancer refers cancer that develops in your throat (pharynx) or voice box (larynx). Your throat is a muscular tube that begins behind your nose and ends in your neck. Throat cancer most often begins in the flat cells that line the inside of your throat. Your voice box sits just below your throat and also is susceptible to throat cancer.
The Thyroid Nodule Clinic provides a one-stop thyroid nodule evaluation that includes a focused clinical assessment, ultrasound evaluation and fine-needle aspiration — all typically performed within a single appointment.
The growth rate of a nodule is important to consider when determining the risk that it's cancer. Nodules that are small and aren't growing are not likely to be cancerous. A series of images can provide a snapshot of the nodule over time.