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Can a benign nodule become cancerous?

I h ave a thyroid nodule that is 2.8cm.  They did a FNA and it was benign.  My surgeon i was referred to wants to wait six months and get another ultrasound done before he considers surgery.  My question is, is waiting or putting it off for six months putting my health in danger?  Do these nodules become cancerous? I am having some trouble now, like swallowing and a little achyness, but he shooed it off saying that it was in my head.  

Should I get a second opinion?
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649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
It never hurts to get a second opinion, if that will put your mind at ease.  If you're waking up wheezing and choking on phlegm, that's not caused by the nodule; that's caused by whatever is causing the phlegm to build up.

Your doctor is doing the right thing,  by sending you to an ENT. Hopefully, s/he will be able to find out what's causing the phlegm and you will be able to resolve that issue.

Typically, if a surgery is "elective", insurance won't cover it, so that should be a consideration for proceeding with removal or not.

What thyroid tests have you had done?  You should have had Free T3, Free T4 and TSH, along with antibody tests to determine whether or not you have an autoimmune thyroid disease, which is quite likely since you have nodules.
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Avatar universal
I have a 3.2 cm thyroid nodule that is compressing in my throat causing me difficuly in breather.  I have been hoarse and loosing my voice periodically (majority of time) for 3 weeks.  The FNA said benign.  The thyroid doctor said that it is not causing the symptoms that I have, because the thyroid is working properly, but we can remove it if it makes me feel better.  She said it would be elective.  I have had the symptoms for a month.  I am concerned that the FNA is a false negative and they may find something if I proceed with surgery.  I am having trouble sleeping, becuase I wake weasing and choking on flem.  What should I do?  Do I need a second opinion?  They are sending me to an ENT next.
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Avatar universal
I have a 3.2 cm thyroid nodule that is compressing in my throat causing me difficuly in breather.  I have been hoarse and loosing my voice periodically (majority of time) for 3 weeks.  The FNA said benign.  The thyroid doctor said that it is not causing the symptoms that I have, because the thyroid is working properly, but we can remove it if it makes me feel better.  She said it would be elective.  I have had the symptoms for a month.  I am concerned that the FNA is a false negative and they may find something if I proceed with surgery.  I am having trouble sleeping, becuase I wake weasing and choking on flem.  What should I do?  Do I need a second opinion?  They are sending me to an ENT next.
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Avatar universal
I had 6 samples taken and blood work done. All benign, but still feel awful. It seams the left size has gotten larger but may be due to biopsy. They want me to come back in a year. I have a swollen node on my jaw and collarbone. I am worried. I went to a good Doctor but still real nervous. One of the nodules is cold and the right has a goiter. A lot going on. Wonder if I should get another opinion. Any suggestions.
Just had a friend , who had a benign nodule have surgery because 6 months later it is malignant.
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Avatar universal
I'm 37 yrs old and one day I noticed a lump on the side of my neck and so I went to my Family Dr and he prescribed me anitbiotics, he said it could be an infection. Well the lump did not go away, so he referred me to an ENT Dr and he requested a biopsy on my lymph node and thyroid. I went for the biopsy and the surgeon who performed the procedure said it was cystic so he drained most of the fluid from the cyst on my neck it was visible, and after he drained it you could no longer see the lump, well two days later I wake up this morning and now it looks like the lump is back. The ENT Dr said my biopsy test results show to be benign. So now who do I see to find out why it seems the cyst is filled with fluid again and what is causing the cysts. Should I go to an Endocrinologist, I do have all the symptoms of Hypothyroidism and I have not had my thyroid tested for Hypo. So I know something is not right, but it feels like no one is concerned about it but me.
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Avatar universal
it is possible to miss cancerous tissue (nodule in nodule) when doing biopsy of the large nodule).
Any rapidly growing nodule in young person needs attention: unless growth caused by bleeding inside of the nodule surgical removal is prefered.
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Avatar universal
I'm 17 yrs old and just found out the lump I had in my neck for about 2months is a tumor in the right side of my thyroid the size of a golf ball.. I got a biopsy done and it came back benign,  but I still have to get it removed..  I'm just worried if it could end up being cancerous and the doctor finding out after surgery...:/
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Avatar universal
I went to my PCP after feeling so fatigued, forgetful, having a hoarse for voice for months and feeling lumps in my neck.  She did send me for an US which showed 8 thyroid nodules berween 1.5cm and 4cm!  I immediateley went to an Endocrinologists who said he could tell from the US report that they were all benign and he declined to even do a biopsy. 19 years ago I had 1 large nodule removed and he said all of these new ones must have been there all this time and I am no longer a surgical candidate because of the old scar tissue, even if they are malignant.  Of course I am getting a second opinion at the end of this month.  I just don't understand the outrageous comments these endocrinologists make to their patients!
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Avatar universal
I had a biopsy made on one of my nodules this past november 2010. It all started since i started feeling symptoms of hypothyrodism "thirsty, dehydration, sudden sweats, excessive dry skin, hair loss, mood swings, loose bowls and constipation" so that's when I visited and found out the tumor was causing these symptoms. So my biopsy came out benign, yet the tests suggested I had my other tumor checked and my doctor said it should not be anything. Thing is it sometimes stings and I have o hoarse voice all morning and sometimes at different times. What do youu think???
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1336567 tn?1291786348
Without even getting into the technicalities of the medical issue here... you should ALWAYS get a second opinion from a doctor who minimizes your concerns and tells you something is "all in your head."  No matter what the circumstance, no doctor should ever say something like that.  This doctor does not trust you, therefore do not trust him, and get a second opinion ASAP!
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Avatar universal
I also had FNA  and said it was fine.  Found out 7 months later after going to another Dr. that i had thyroid cancer.  Had surgery and found out i had cancer in 3 out of 7 lymph nodes.  That was in 2004. After surgery i've had 3 cancer tracers done.Everything comes back fine. Thank God!!!!  Please don't wait, get another opinion.  I wish you the best!!!!!      Trish045
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Avatar universal
Hi Katie,
Hate to scare you too, but me three. I had my right lobe removed because of some sketchy hurthle cells in my FNA, which turned out to be benign upon first look as well. (By the way, they only did the FNA on my big 2.0cm nodule, not any of the smaller ones). I was closed up and sent home with my left side still intact, only to find 1 week later with the final pathology report that I have a 2mm microcarcinoma that was unseen on both my cat scan and ultra sound. Now I need to have my slides sent out for second opinion, and may have to have another surgery to remove the left, if there is any possibility of recurrence there. Be pro-active- get as many opinions as you feel you need, this is your one body. You came to the right place, there is a wealth of experience here... Good luck .. hugs...Laura
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Avatar universal
Same here, don't want to scare you, I too was having swallowing issues, I would swallow food and it would get stuck at the base of my throat, I would get massive rapid hiccups, then felt like choking and I would have to swallow water until it flushed out.  This would happen once a week or so.  I had four nodules, three in the right, biggest 2.1 cm, and one in left, 1.6 cm.  I was also getting hoarse, I am a singer, so this was not cool.  My FNA came back "benign follicular clusters" but they could not guarantee that I was not cancer...I chose to have the right side with the three nodules removed to see if it would help with the swallowing and hoarseness.  Surgery was peice of cake, I felt great, then they found the cancer.  Two tumors, very small, 1 and 2 mm, then the decision became do we remove the other side?  SInce the tumors were very small, Endo wanted to watch and wait, but all three surgeons said take it out.  I had a bad feeling, my thyroid was failing anyway (Hashi's) so I chose to remove the other side.  They found a big 1.5 cm tumor there as well as another small 2 mm tumor, and ALL the nodules were not cancerous.  The cancers were found in the thyroid tissue itself.  So I am glad I took it out.  If that is the only nodule you have, you might consider a lobectomy to make sure there is no cancer, you would probably still have thyroid function and at least your mind would be at ease.
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Avatar universal
Yes, definitely get a second opinion.  I had a FNA on a nodule in my thyroid which was benign.  My surgeon decided that we should just remove the whole thyroid.  (I don't want to scare you), during my surgery the cancer was located behind the nodule and had spread to a couple of lymph nodes, which were also removed.  I go for another body scan in September, 2008, to see if the cancer has progressed or not.  Good Luck - and you will get through this!!  Just please get a second opinion.  FNA are not always accurate.  As you can see, mine was not.

Take good care of yourself!

Lori
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