Is My Cyst Cancerous?
A thyroid nodule is an abnormal swelling or lump on the thyroid that can be either a solid or liquid filled cyst or mass.
It is said that an estimated 20 to 40 percent of the population unknowingly have a nodule on their thyroid.
Studies show there is a very low chance, about 5-10 percent, of being a malignancy or cancerous.
This condition is more prevalent in women with an estimated one in 12 to 15 women and one in 50 men being diagnosed with a cyst or thyroid nodule.
Thyroid nodules can occur in any part of the thyroid gland making some easy to feel, while others can be hidden deep in the tissue or located very low in the thyroid causing difficulty to feel them.
Although symptoms are rare, some symptoms of a cyst or nodule can vary from states of hypothyroidism to hyperthyroidism.
The hypothyroidism symptoms may be fatigue, depression,weight gain while the hyperthyroidism symptoms may be heart palpitations, insomnia, weight loss and anxiety.
If the cyst get larger you maybe able to fell it, see it as a swelling at the base of your neck and it may press against your windpipe or esophagus causing difficulty to swallow or shortness of breath.
Now that I have given you the details about these growths let me get to the title of my article.
Is my cyst cancerous? How are you diagnosed? With most patients not having symptoms, the growth will be found during a physical examination or if seeing the doctor for an other complaint.
If it is cancerous is almost rarely determined by just physical examination.
What are the steps the doctor will take? The first procedure will probably be a fine needle aspiration.
Although you may think it would be painful, with some anesthetic it can usually be done in the doctor's office.
Using a very fine needle, cells are extracted and sent to a pathologist to examine under a microscope.
The report will come back with one of the following: benign,malignant, suspicious, or non-diagnostic.
If determined suspicious or non-diagnostic the doctor will order further testing.
A thyroid scan may be ordered.
This procedure uses a small amount of radioactive substance, usually iodine.
The pictures will show the uptake of the substance by the nodule.
The results will be "warm" nodule, some uptake; "hot" nodule more uptake than normal cells, or a "cold" nodule, with no uptake of the radioactive substance.
Warm or hot nodules are rarely cancerous, while the cold nodules having a small percentage of malignancy, will need more investigating.
An ultrasound of the thyroid will be the next step.
This will determine if the nodule is solid or liquid filled.
A solid growth is more likely to be malignant than one that is liquid filled.
The ultra sound can also be used to determine exact location, shape and be used to do a further fine needle aspiration.
The treatment for a cyst that is determined to be cancerous is usually surgery.
It will be removed with part of or all of the thyroid gland.
If the diagnosis is non-cancerous the treatments options may be to just watch it checking it regularly, taking of thyroid hormones to suppress the production of natural hormones, or surgery if the growth is causing swallowing or breathing problems.
With the low percentage of thyroid cysts being cancerous there is also the good news that most forms of thyroid cancers are highly treatable and some may be curable.
It is said that an estimated 20 to 40 percent of the population unknowingly have a nodule on their thyroid.
Studies show there is a very low chance, about 5-10 percent, of being a malignancy or cancerous.
This condition is more prevalent in women with an estimated one in 12 to 15 women and one in 50 men being diagnosed with a cyst or thyroid nodule.
Thyroid nodules can occur in any part of the thyroid gland making some easy to feel, while others can be hidden deep in the tissue or located very low in the thyroid causing difficulty to feel them.
Although symptoms are rare, some symptoms of a cyst or nodule can vary from states of hypothyroidism to hyperthyroidism.
The hypothyroidism symptoms may be fatigue, depression,weight gain while the hyperthyroidism symptoms may be heart palpitations, insomnia, weight loss and anxiety.
If the cyst get larger you maybe able to fell it, see it as a swelling at the base of your neck and it may press against your windpipe or esophagus causing difficulty to swallow or shortness of breath.
Now that I have given you the details about these growths let me get to the title of my article.
Is my cyst cancerous? How are you diagnosed? With most patients not having symptoms, the growth will be found during a physical examination or if seeing the doctor for an other complaint.
If it is cancerous is almost rarely determined by just physical examination.
What are the steps the doctor will take? The first procedure will probably be a fine needle aspiration.
Although you may think it would be painful, with some anesthetic it can usually be done in the doctor's office.
Using a very fine needle, cells are extracted and sent to a pathologist to examine under a microscope.
The report will come back with one of the following: benign,malignant, suspicious, or non-diagnostic.
If determined suspicious or non-diagnostic the doctor will order further testing.
A thyroid scan may be ordered.
This procedure uses a small amount of radioactive substance, usually iodine.
The pictures will show the uptake of the substance by the nodule.
The results will be "warm" nodule, some uptake; "hot" nodule more uptake than normal cells, or a "cold" nodule, with no uptake of the radioactive substance.
Warm or hot nodules are rarely cancerous, while the cold nodules having a small percentage of malignancy, will need more investigating.
An ultrasound of the thyroid will be the next step.
This will determine if the nodule is solid or liquid filled.
A solid growth is more likely to be malignant than one that is liquid filled.
The ultra sound can also be used to determine exact location, shape and be used to do a further fine needle aspiration.
The treatment for a cyst that is determined to be cancerous is usually surgery.
It will be removed with part of or all of the thyroid gland.
If the diagnosis is non-cancerous the treatments options may be to just watch it checking it regularly, taking of thyroid hormones to suppress the production of natural hormones, or surgery if the growth is causing swallowing or breathing problems.
With the low percentage of thyroid cysts being cancerous there is also the good news that most forms of thyroid cancers are highly treatable and some may be curable.
Source...