striaght answers

[Riaghan]

Hi Everyone,

I have had a lump in my neck for a few years now. However last September my GP noticed it and sent me for thyroid testing. It turned out my thyroid was overactive. However during my meeting with a consultant he said that the ultrasound and nuclear medicine tests I had showed somethings thta required me to have the FNA.

I am only 27 and he said it would be unusual for a woman of my age, who is otherwise fit and healthy to have cancer but with some small swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck he recommended I get the FNA anyway.

So off I went. I was originally told I had a nodule on the right side measuring 4.7cm and on the left measuring 3.3cm. After the FNA with ultrasound I was told the right has either increased to 5.3cm or the first size has been an underestimate. (if it has increased that means it would have grown .5cm in a little over a month)  The FNA was a failure as not enough of a sample had been taken so another was done there and then. I'm currently awaiting those results.

Now, he also mentioned that there were flecks of calium evident. I asked what this was indicative of but he just said they are not daignostic and we would wait for results.

I would just like someone to give me some straight answers and was hoping someone here would have maybe some idea what was going on? I understand that no diagnosis can be given online but my job will probably be dependant on the outcome of these tests and I would like to have a fair idea of what to expect. If you could offer any opinions from your experiences I would be very grateful. And I understand that without my medical file and results that they are only opinions not facts :)

Thanking you in advance
Riaghan

[Smilerdeb]

Let us know how you go :o)

[Riaghan]

Thanks a million for all your replies. It's nice to hear from people who know what I'm going through and you can talk with such frankness. I'll just have to wait now for results. Got results back today and it should be benign but the consultant isnt happy as he took the sample "blind" and is sending me for a third FNA. He wants this one done with the aid of the ultrasound.

Fingers crossed :) Thanks again for all your advice and help

[Smilerdeb]

I have never heard of ethanol ablation done with the thyroid or nodulkes..usually a thyroidectomy is done...followed by RAI (radioactive Iodine) which is completely different from Ethanol.
But then again.....I may be wrong.

[898_1]

The 5.5 cm mass sounds like rapid degeneration of the calcified nodule.The biopsy must be done under live ultrasonic observance from solid components of that nodule. If lymph nodes are swollen the sample must be taken from there as well. Even benign cysts of that size may rquire surgical removal instead of ethanol ablation.

[blsdnsvd]

I agree as well. Not only do you have nodules on both sides but the size alone can cause breathing problems (even if fna is ok). Surgery may be your best option.

I would also advise you to seek 2nd and maybe a 3rd opions to be sure that everyone is on the same page. Keep in mind that your situation is very similiar to many others who has gone through the same thing and you will be fine.

[ChitChatNine]

Hi,

I agree with the above poster.  The waiting is the hardest part - dealing with whatever the FNA reveals is movement forward and knowing some answers -- unless, it comes back atypcial  like mine did which means they cannot tell for sure one way or the other and usually then they do surgery.  I had a partial in '07 .. my original nodules aprox 2.0cm which were different presentation than yours .. were benign.  While there, they found 2 very small areas of papillary micro's.  So I'm glad I had the surgery.

Also, keep in mind you can have a 2nd opinion on the slides if there's any hesitancy on a diagnosis, but the size you are describing and unstable thyroid, sound like you may be suggested to have surgery.

C~
1/07 partial

[Smilerdeb]

With the nodules growing fast and the size they are, I would expect that a Thyroidectomy will be what the Doc/Endo wants to do.
Its very hard to control an overactive thyroid and if left untreated can be dangerous.
And its unusual for someone who has an overactive thyroid WITH nodules to be put on anti-thyroid meds...usually they want to do surgery to be on the safe side.

On ultrasonography, a hyperechoic nodule with a sharp "halo" is associated with a low risk of malignancy and a hypoechoic nodule with microcalcifications is associated with a high risk of a malignant lesion, but performance of a biopsy is recommended. Ultrasonography coupled with ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy can detect >90% of recurrent cases of thyroid carcinoma. In general, normal lymph nodes appear flattened on ultrasonography, whereas malignant nodes appear more rounded or bulging.

Its not something that cannot be treated and usually a thyroidectomy is done.
Then followed up afterwards (depending on results) with RAI (radioactive iodine).

I had the same as you although I had no nodules.
I had cancer of the whole thyroid (calcification). I had RAI as the thyroid was uncontrollable with anti-thyroid medications and the thyroid cancer wasnt picked up until 3 days before RAI. I then had a Thyroidectomy 3 months later.
That is June and September 2008 and I'm doing great now.
Try not to worry (easier said than done) .....it can be fixed if this is the problem you have.

As you know, I am no Doctor but you wanted some answers.
All the best :)