Thyroid

[fabians36]

I have been diagnosed with Thyroid Nodules - soft mass not cancerious . My Dr. wants me to have surgery - I have reservations about this form of treatment if there is an alternative.

[National Jewish Health]

Multiple nodules, as opposed to a single nodule, are usually benign.  Multiple nodules usually indicate a simple goiter.  The most common approach to the diagnosis of thyroid nodule(s) is a fine needle aspiration.  And that is exactly what the name suggests.  A thin or fine needle is placed into the nodule and cells are withdrawn into a syringe.  Another test that could suggest whether or not this is cancerous is scintillation scanning, a non-invasive indicator of whether the nodules are hot, which means metabolically active, or cold, which means not engaged in the production of thyroid hormone.  Roughly only 20% of cold nodules are cancerous and almost all hot or functioning nodules are benign.

As for surgery, I would recommend that you not have it until your thyroid nodules are better characterized, as above.  You may not need surgery.  You should get a second opinion from a non-surgical thyroid specialist.  If the consultant, not professionally related to your doctor, agrees that surgery is indicated, insist that it be done by a surgeon with great experience with thyroid operations and then ask that surgeon about his/her complication rate, and the nature of the serious complications he/she has encountered.