concern

My husband had a ultrasound done found a solid mass left lobe of the thyroid gland size 1.8x1.3x1.1cm. went for a uptake scan  showed left thyroid lobe inferior pole area of photopenia consistent with a cold nodule. Impression: Left thyroid lobe inferior pole cold nonfunctioning nodule.  Normal thyroid function. Went for a biospy microscope exam: there is an adequate cellular specimen characterized by numerous groups of relatively unform appearin follicular cells. Neither colloid material or pigmented macrophages are observed. Comments The cytologic features are those of a cellular follicular lesion.The differential diagnosis includes a hyperplastic adenomatoidcolloid) nodule and a follicular neoplasm(statistically most likely a follicular adenoma). The likelihood of malignancy is small. Management options would include careful follow up with repeat biopsy in the future or excision(lobectomy)
final diagnosis Left thyroid lobe pattern suggestive of cellular follicular lesion See Comment

Please reply some says it's cancer and some says it's not. Just a concern wife!!!!!!!!!! Thanks alot


This discussion is related to Suspicious Thyroid Nodule.

[utahmomma]

Follicular cells on a biopsy cannot be classified.  That's the problem.   However, the fact that your husband is male (duh), has a cold nodule, and has some cellular changes (the hyperplastic changes) are all suspicious.  There are other factors that are important to consider too:
- his age
- his family history
- the size of the nodule
- blood test results
- ultrasound description of the nodule (size, vascularization, calcification, irregular borders of the nodule, etc.)

There, unfortunately, is *no* way to conclusively say whether or not a nodule is cancerous unless 1) there are cancerous cells on the biopsy or 2) the thyroid (or lobe) is removed and sent to pathology.

FNAs (fine needle biopsies) aren't always conclusive - they can have quite a few false negatives.  Meaning that there may be cancer there that is missed by the needle.  Two of my sisters had FNAs which were negative for cancer - both had the surgery anyway and both had cancer.

Don't ignore this nodule.  Keep pushing for more testing and/or surgery.

My best to you and your husband

Utahmomma
papillary carcinoma '03
recurrence and RAI '06 and probably '08
three sisters with papillary carcinoma (one with three recurrences/RAI)
one sister with precancerous thyroid nodules
daughter with precancerous nodules