Very sore after FNA Biopsy

[a_rodriguez_04]

I had a FNA done on Monday the 3rd.  The doctors told me prior to the FNA that they want to remove the right side of my thyroid via surgery because of a partially cystic complex nodule.  I am unsure if this is the right move for my situation.  Any ideas as to what I should do?  The left side of my thyroid appears to be 100% healthy.  However, I have not yet got the results from the biopsy.  thank you for any help/ suggestions

[utahmomma]

I was in exactly the same situation a few years ago but I didn't have a FNA.  A relatively small complex (partially cystic) nodule was found.  After doing the research I decided to skip the FNA and opt for surgery.  The nodule contained a 5mm area of papillary carcinoma.  Over the next 12 months three of my four sisters had TTs because of papillary carcinoma, the other sister's was precancerous, and my 16-year old daughter's thyroid was also precancerous.  Needless to say I had the remaining half out 12 months later.

Talk to your doctor about possibly doing a scan on your nodule (even if the FNA is negative) to see if the nodule is functional.  Solitary, complex cysts are the most suspicious type of nodules.

Follow your gut instinct.

[a_rodriguez_04]

I am still trying to weigh in the factors of having the entire thyroid removed versus just the right side.  This would be my first surgery and needless to day I am EXTREMLY nervous and apprehensive.  If the results of the FNA reveal any stage of ANY type of cancer I am going to have to have the entire thyroid removed right?  You said after a year you had the remaining portion removed, how are you feeling now?  Have you had any negative side effects from the surgery?  If there is no sign of cancer should I go forward with removing the entire thyroid as a sort of preventative medicine?  These are some of my questions that I would prefer to have answered by someone who has experianced this problem versus asking a doctor.  Thanks again for your help!

[utahmomma]

If there is *any* cancer on the FNA an entire thyroidectomy (TT) is recommended.  Please remember that not all cancers are found on FNAs - both of my sister's FNAs were clear but they did have thyroid cancer.

What I told my surgeon was to take the affected lobe, have a pathologist in the OR to do a "frozen section cut down" and to remove the other lobe if there was any cancer.  Unfortunately for me they didn't find the cancer until I was in the recovery room.  Having a very frank discussion with your surgeon and talk about all the options is very important.

Since you have never had surgery it's difficult to give you a reference point.  I have had 8 surgeries and my two thyroid surgeries were, by far, the easiest surgeries I've had.  All of my sisters said the same thing.

I haven't had any negative affects from the surgery but I did get a cancer recurrence and had to have followup radioactive iodine treatment which has changed my metabolism.  It's been frustrating but much better than living with cancer.

Research all you can.

If there were no cancer I'd still be living with 1/2 of a thyroid.  

[a_rodriguez_04]

Thanks for your help!  It helps a lot to hear from someone who has experianced the problem versus hearing things from someone who has not.  :)

[utahmomma]

That's the great thing about this forum.  I wish I would have had it four years ago.  Oh well, at least I can share my fun and games with others.

Let me know how things go!!

Best to you.

[ras48]

I had aTT 3 weeks ago today. The right thyroid lobe was enlarged with several noduals, the left not as bad. FNA was not conclusive. With family history of thyroid cancer and the general condition of the thyroid we elected to remore all and not wait and see. The result was no cancer on the right lobe but a small 3mm on the left. If we had used the wait and see approch it could have been months or years before the cancer was detected. I have had 9 other surgerys and I must say this one was a breeze compared to my two total Knee replacements( one in April of thie year). I really feel better after TT than I have for a long time, but my little sis thinks I need Happy Pills, Just a small problem with anger management. Good Luck andI'll sure pray and hope all goes well.

[pep88]

I had a FNA about 4 months ago.  two small nodules almost too small to do a FNA.  Since then I've had a TT and RAI for cancer.  I didn't even have any symptoms (I thought) of thyroid issues.  What a whirlwind it's been.  But the FNA showed inconclusive results with some sort of verbage like "can't rule out Papillary carcinoma".  The docs and everyone told me that I had a 90 - 95% chance of it being benign, but still they recommended surgery.  I wasn't bad.  I thought a c-section was entirely worse than TT.  Living without a thyroid has been a journey (I'm just getting on the meds now), but it gets better everyday, and hey, I don't have cancer anymore.   I hope this helps you in your evaluation and personal journey.  Let us know what you find out, we'll all be here for you.

[a_rodriguez_04]

Thank you all for your insights, I am now leaning towards just having the full thyroidectomy rather than waiting to see.  I am still waiting for the FNA results and a surgery date.  Again tahnks for your advice and sharing your experiances with me.

[SarahE86]

While i was doing a pre-op with my surgeon to take out my gallbladder he noticed a lump on my thyroid. I've always had this noticable lump but never thouight anythng of it. I went in to do an ultrasound on my thyroid and they found multiple. My surgeon diagnosed me with multinodular goiter. I've had a biopsy done while they took my gallbladder out. The results were 99% begnin. My primary doctor wanted to take out my thyroid immediately. I suggested a specialist. Is it wiser to just take out the thyroid because i'm going to be on the medication one way or another. At least if they take it our i wont have to worry about the possibility of cancer. The socond biopsy they had done 01/16/09. Even after the first biopsy my throat was swollen for over a week and i got sick for a month. The second biopsy. My throat is swollen yet again and i'm starting to get sick. Should i be concerned?

[898]

What did the ultrasound and biopsy say?
if the needle struck nerve or blooad vessel, the pain and bruising can last up to 3 weeks

[jackson3]

Why did your doctor want to take your thyroid out if it is 99% benign?  I just had the left side of my thyroid out on January 7th due to a suspicious nodule.  I also have a nodule on the right that the FNA said was benign.  My pathology came back negative for cancer, but did diagnose me with a multinodular goiter as well.  My doctor didn't seem concerned by this at all.  I think we are just going to monitor the right side with ultra sound.  He didn't mention me needing to take any kind of medication.  I am just curious.

[SarahE86]

That's what i was concerned about. That my doctor immediately wanted to do surgery. I mean i've had the noticable lump on my neck for a real long time and she never noticed it. Then again it did take her 4 years to figure out my gallbladder was causing me so much pain. My endocrinologist wants me to be on levothyroxine because my thyroid is slow. The slowest was like a 4.9 and my tests came back as 4.8. Is it strange though to get cold-like symptoms after a biopsy? My mother was just diagnosed with hashimotos disease and a goiter and our doctor didn't spring for surgery.

- Sarah Emmons

[SarahE86]

Did they tell you if your thyroid was underactive or overactive? My specialist told me i will be on medication for the rest of my life either way.

[898]

again it would be nice to see the ultrasound report as some worrysome features can be the reason why removal is suggested

[jackson3]

My TSH was 0.4, so it was in the normal range.  I am getting it checked next month to make sure the other side of my thyroid is still funtioning normally.  So, yours is underactive and that is why you would need meds.  That is what I was wondering.  What did they find on the biopsy that made them want to remove your thyroid?

[SarahE86]

The first biopsy just showed scattered clusters of follicular cells, some with hurthle change and colloid material. The pathology report said that they favored a benign nodule. But my primary doctor didn't want me to see a specialist. I had to tell her to put me on thyroid medication and to send me to a specialist. She wanted to just have my thyroid taken out so i wouldn't have to worry about the possibility of cancer. I mean i have had this noticable lump for as long as i can remember and my surgeon was the only one to notice. I'm planning on picking up a copy of my second biopsy today.

[jackson3]

So, did you see your specialist yet?  I know that my doctor (an ENT) was very conservative with the surgery.  He only suggested to have it removed due to the second biopsy also showing atypical follicular cells.  He also gave me the option of waiting and having another ultrasound to see if it was growing.  He told me the chances of it being cancer were small and that thyroid cancer is slow-growing, so it wasn't urgent.  I decided to have the surgery, because it was stressing me out so bad with the not knowing.  If you have reservations about the surgery I would get another opinion.  Your first biopsy doesn't seem to give any indications that it is urgent to have it removed.  You will have to let me know what your second biopsy says.

[898]

The recommendation is to remove the entire right lobe in order to discover whether it is cancer or not.  Apparently there is a 10-15% chance of it being cancer.

[SarahE86]

My second biopsy showed a scant number of benign follicular cells. One multinucleated cell and colloid material was found in my second biopsy. It also saysdue to the scant number of follicular epitheiial cells present that this specimen is not diagnostic of a specific entity and that further testing and studies are suggested. Although the second biopsy they had done on two other lumps which used to be smaller in november are noe 2cm each. With those two and the more noticable one i have that is already 2cm that would mean they are growing. Before i just had the one noticable one that was 2cm. The rest were barely 1cm. My mother is acutally freaking out more than i am. She wants my thyroid out more than anything. With things growing it may not be a bad decision.

[SarahE86]

I have seen a specialist. He is the one that ordered the second biopsy. I see him again on the 3rd. He should put me on the medication. He took me off to do all my testing.

[SarahE86]

I saw my endocrinologist, he pretty much said it's up to me if i want to take it out or watch it. I'm not emotionally ready to go through surgery yet. So i decided to watch it. The only problem i have is that after the second  biopsy the swelling stayed and now if i prop my head up with two pillows i feel as if i am suffocating. It doesn't happen all the time but a few times and it scared me. I had no worries when they were taking out my gallbladder i wanted the darn thing out because it caused me pain for four years and i was fed up with it. But this, i think i'm more worried because it's my throat. For those of you who have had thyroid surgery how long did recovery take? I want to try and understand the effects of getting the surgery done. I'm nervous about saying yes to it. The doctor said nothing looks harmful, but they wouldn't know for sure unless it's taken out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Any suggestions?

[898]

The swelling from biopsy that stays that long is indication of bleeding into the nodule; it can be like that for 2 weeks more, then it should go down. Avoiding mechanical pressure to that neck area is recommended.

[SarahE86]

The swelling has stayed longer than 2 weeks. Everytime they biopsy it gets more enlarged. I thought it was strange. I don't think that it's supposed to keep the swelling. Or they just irritated the goiter so much it stayed enlarged than it was before?