liklyness of cancer

I have a nodule 3.5cm on left lobe abd 1.5cm on right lobe. nuclear scan was cold for right nodule and left looked ok.... i have trouble breathing nausea, throte and neck pain and headache. I want to know what the cahances are for cancer and will the doc opt to remove the thyroid if its benign. I don't want to go through this the rest of my life.

[MANmom]

Are the nodules cystic or solid?  Have you had a biopsy yet?  Are they vascular?  Sounds like you need to ask for some more tests...those are pretty big, and a biopsy is warranted when they get above 1 cm.  The odds are in your favor, probably less than 20%.

[redheadaussie]

If you are having trouble breathing etc, then it is in all likelihood a reason to have that side out. Do you have a diagnosis of Graves, or Hypothyroid or anything else?
Often with nodules you will have an enlarged thyroid also. Medication can often bring the thyroid down to a comfortable state. If not then it is warranted to remove it.
  It does not go that having larger nodules means having a cancer, but it can happen. Getting it checked early is obviously in your favour if it is a cancer. There are many ways of dealing with it if it is a cancer. Surgery is one option. Thyroid cancers have a very high success rate of cure.

[daisy924]

I was in your shoes a few months ago.  I had a 3 cm nodule on one side and a 2 cm nodule on the other side.  An FNA biopsy is your next step.  I had shortness of breath, sore neck, ears and headaches as well.  My biopsy came back suspicious on the 2 cm side with atypical cells and benign on the 3 cm side, but was pushing on my trachea.  Therefore, I needed to have my entire thyroid removed.  Turned out the suspicous side was cancer free and the larger side had a tiny incidental microcarcinoma (less than .1 cm)  which was completely removed and did not require any further treatment...no iodine radiation.  I am one month post thyroidectomy and feeling great...no more shortness of breath, neck pain, etc.  I guess what I am trying to say is yes definitely get the biopsy to check for cancer, but know that you can have very large nodules that are cancer free.  Once you have the biopsy your ENT will have a better idea about whether surgery is needed and what your options might be.  If everything comes back benign, they might want to remove the larger side, since it sounds like it is causing you discomfort, and leave the smaller side.  Let us know how things go.

[alona99]

Hi,
     I have a nodule in right lobe 2.3 cm and very small one in left lobe. The nodules are not producing hormone and the FNA came back like this: under cancer reading - abnormal cell and in comment section - blood, microfollicular with crowding and overlap suspicion of follicular neoplasm. I have done alot of reading and I guess there is no way out of surgery - family history of goiter but endo said this is not what it is. During my reading I found when they do the path historoniclly it can come back this way. Should I consider the surgery? If you have any input or recommend good questions that I can ask I go to see the surgeon on August 24. Much appriciated. Thanks