A little concerned

[mel250]

Hi all, I had a thyroid ultrasound today and I have 5 nodules. The largest is 2.8cm x1.3x 1.7. It has solid and cystic components and a focal area of wall calcification measuring 2mm. On colour flow doppler imaging, there was internal vascularity in this nodule. Does anyone have any idea what this means? My doctor was not able to tell me much other then I needed to have a fine needle biopsy on the nodule. I will have this done in the next few days.
I recently had blood taken and my TSH levels were a little low and my T4 levels were a little high. Could this be linked to the nodule?
Thanks Mel :)

[MANmom]

I would skip the uptake scan and to right to the biopsy.  It really doesn't matter if they are functioning properly or not if they are cancerous. Your nodules have the characteristics that indicate possible cancer, however, I stress THYROID CANCER IS TYPICALLY HARD TO DIAGNOSE.  Calcification and internal vascularity are both a concern...cancer needs a blood flow to survive, the vascularity indicates that it is feeding on the blood supply.  The FNA should tell you what kind of cells are present, although many times it might not tell you what you need to know.  Many times (my case included) it gives you an inconclusive result.  My sister got a diagnosis of Papillary cancer, I got a "benign follicular clusters", but I still had cancer.  I had 1/2 my thyroid with 3 nodules removed (I had normal thyroid function) and then they found cancer, so the other side had to come out.  My mixed solid/cystic nodule with vascularity was almost completely cancer, 1.5 cm of it.  The other solid nodules all had micro tumors in them.  They did not do the biopsy on the nodule that had all the cancer in it, though, they biopsied the biggest nodule.  Perhaps if they biopsied the mixed nodule I would have had a better diagnosis and only 1 surgery.  Get the biopsy, then go from there.

[katbid]

Hello,
Have you had an uptake scan done yet?  I would recommend this because it will determine if the nodules are functioning or not.  I found out that I had several nodules as well back around the Aug time frame.  One of my nodules was solid and the uptake showed it was "cold".  My other nodules were "hot".  Thus I was diagnosed with Toxic Multinodular goiter along with the graves and hashimoto.  My Endo did not do an FNA because when the nodule is over a certain size (my largest at the time was 2cm) it is very easy for the FNA to not be reliable.  That is because the needle they use may take several samples from the nodule, but miss the one area that might contain cancer cells.  My endo explained that solid and or cold nodules are more prone to be cancerous.  He said that based on the size of the nodules and the uptake scan results, I would need to have the entire thyroid removed anyway.  I had my TT on 31 Dec 2010 and found out on 5 Jan that two of my nodules (one being the solid cold one) contained cancer.  The solid cold nodule was Follicular Variant of Papillary (which had grown from 2cm to 3cm within a little over three month, and had ruptured).  And the other smaller nodule was classic Papillary.  My tests never revealed any calcifications, however, my endo told me that calcification is one of the criteria that could indicate cancer.  He said "bottom line, the only way you are going to know for sure if you have cancer, is to remove the thyroid".  I am so glad he recommended this.  
As far as your levels being linked to the nodules:  I believe the answer can be yes or no.  People can have nodules and or cancer but have a normal functioning thyroid.  Or it could be the opposite.
Good luck with your journey and I hope all turns out well for you.