Cold Nodule

[kochiemonster22]

My father is 71 years old and has been in great health all of his life.  His mother had hyperthyroidism, and his cousin Thyroid Cancer (but is free of it, and still living). He has a biopsy tomorrow because his MRI scan showed a cold nodule.  My question is, does this mostly always mean thyroid cancer? I am very scared, and praying that it is not a big deal.  Can anyone give me any insight to a cold nodule and its possibilities of not being cancer?
Thanks,
Brooke

[utahmomma]

The usual steps with the most common thyroid cancers (papillary and follicular) are surgery then RAI (radioactive iodine).  The surgery removes the thyroid tissue, cancer, and any affected lymph nodes.  They RAI kills off any remaining thyroid tissue (can't remove it all surgically) and any thyroid tissue elsewhere in the body.  Usually there is none of the common treatments many associate with cancer (external beam radiation or chemotherapy) because those methods destroy non-thyroid tissues too,.  Actually us thyroid cancer patients are lucky (if you can call it that) because thyroid tissue absorbs iodine so they can "hook" the radiation to iodine and target only thyroid tissue.

As for lab tests - there aren't any to tell if the nodule is malignant or benign.  They actually have to get "lucky" on a FNA (fine needle aspiration/biopsy) and find cancer or do what they did with the rest of us and find it in pathology after the thyroid surgery.

Hang in there - it's not easy but it is manageable and, if it is cancer, it's one of the most treatable ones out there.

[kochiemonster22]

Thank you so much! I have a lot of faith that everything is going to be ok...I just do not like to see my father scared you know? His T4 levels were low, which I guess he was told that that can mean that it is benign??  Who knows...to be quite honest I do not have a whole lot of faith in the doctors here in SW Florida. I have read that website you provided like 50 times, it is very informative. Do they usually treat thyroid cancer with radiation only? Thank you!

[utahmomma]

Here's some good information that may help you:  http://www.endocrineweb.com/nodule.html

Don't be too worried, if it is thyroid cancer it is very treatable.  I know, I've been there and so have three of my four sisters.  Hang in there