nodule/goiter surgery or not

[zindy]

HELLO! I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS? I HAVE A 5.2CM NODULE/GOITER, WE HAVE WATCHED THIS FOR 7YRS. STARTED OFF BEING 2CM , ITS A COLD COMPLEX NODULE. HAD THE IDIONE PILL (RAI?) HOPING TO SHRINK IT BUT IT ACTUALLY WENT FROM 4.8CM TO 5.2CM. JUST HAD MY GALLBLADDER TAKEN BCZ OF STONE. SO I CANCELD MY 1ST THYROID SURGERY. MY ENDO INCREASE MY ARMOUR TO 90MG AND I FEEL BETTER, HAVING NO EAR PAIN OR THROAT PAIN ANYMORE. I CLEAR MY THROAT ALOTS. HE SAID IF YOU WANT TO WAIT AWHILE FOR SURGERY, DO SO. BUT, MY ENT SAID SHE LIKES TO TAKE THEM OUT OVER 4CM AND YOU HAVE HAD SYMPTOMS AND YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU TAKE IT OUT IF IT IS CANCER! I'VE HAD PROBABLY 6 FNA IN 7 YRS. OH, I HAD MY RIGHT THYROID REMOVED ABOUT 20 YRS AGO BCZ HAD A NODULE THAT WAS QUESTIONABLE. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE SOME IMPUT ? THANK YOU!!

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

A mass of this size will likely need to be removed at some point.  Especially with the observed growth rate over 7 years.  It's not likely urgent though, so plan a time that is good for your schedule (provided you don't have increasing symptoms).

Cold nodules don't usually respond well to I-131 therapy....

'suppressive' thyroid meds can help control growth in some cases but are unlikely to shrink it and it is important to avoid medication induced hyperthyroidism

[benny51]

I have a 25 gram goiter but my endroconlogist never said anything about having it removed , should i bring up the possibilty of having it removed?

[zindy]

hi, my dr said mine was 40 grams and i've been going through this for 7yrs. it started out 2cm now 5.2cm.  have you had a FNA or biospy or a ultrasound ?  

[benny51]

No nothing has been done, all the doc has done was asked symptoms i have and checked it with his hands, this is all still kinnda new to new to me it was all just found in 06 i do not remember the results but the doc said i have hashitmato or whatever that is.

[mjane]

I would ask dr. about a FNA bx (fine needle aspiration biopsy).  They put a small needle into the nodule and draw out some cells to biopsy.  90-95% of nodules or goiters are benign.  But better safe than sorry.  Most hashitimato is not cancer, so that's good news.  Do you have hypothyroid symptoms?  Is your endo a thyroid specialist?  Be as proactive as you can.  Don't loose any sleep worrying about cancer.   But ask for that FNA just be sure.  

Zindy's doc is right that you can't know for sure about cancer until it is out of there, but the FNA will show any abnormal cells.  Mine were slightly abnormal on FNA and that warrented a total thyroidectomy, which showed hashitimato and papillary cancer.  But, again remember that MOST (90-95%) are  NOT  cancer.  I had no obvious symptoms for hashitimato.  But I did some internet research and found a thyroid specialist near me.   So glad I did!  While everyone agrees, removal is not urgent,  I like a small scar :-) .  My largest nodule was 5 cm and my scar after 3 months is only about 2" wide and very thin and almost hidden in a natural neck crease.

[zindy]

hi , i hope you are doing well since surgery :)  that was a large nodule. how did ur surgery go?  are you doing ok on the meds?  I'm  a little scared this time bcz they said I'm more at risk bcz of the scar tissue from prior surgery plus the rai does scarring.  my first scar looks great so i hope this one will too. best wishes!!

[mjane]

Do you have to have an aditional surgery on your thyroid?  Did they only remove one lobe before?  I'm doing great.  I had my RAI I131 ablation  5 days ago and get to come out of isolation tomorrow and get to start my thyoid meds (after being off for 7 wks).  I had a lot of swelling of my salava glands the day after RAI, but found a great page on this site about massageing them to release the radioactive agent that sometimes collects and it worked great!  Pain was mostly gone by evening.  I kept up he massage technique for a couple days and now how very little swelling.  I am still a little tired, but nothing like I have read from others.  Praise God!  I hope I bounce back quickly once I start the  meds.  My endo told me to doublle up on the dose for 2 wks to give my system a good restart.  I go back Tuesday for a full body scan, but don't expect them to find anything suspicious.  So glad to have this behind me.  BTW, I had 100 millicuries of RAI..

[mjane]

How are things going with you, benny?   keep us posted.  

[mjane]

Duh, just scrolled to the top and saw your history.  For some reason I was only reading from dr. lupo's comments down before.  Oh, well, remember I am very hypo--foggy brain, ya know.   sry.