Health: What discovering a thyroid lump means – Red Deer Advocate
Fortunately, the majority of thyroid nodules are not cancers, says W. Gifford Jones. (File photo by The Canadian Press)
Thyroid nodules are common in elderly people. In fact, a report from the University of California states that if you’re over the age of 60, there’s a 25 to 50 per cent chance of developing a thyroid lump.
The important test is what’s called a fine needle aspiration. A small needle is inserted into the thyroid gland to obtain tissue or fluid from inside the gland. This can be done in the doctor’s office. Usually, the doctor applies an anesthetic to the skin, then inserts the needle into the nodule. This takes only a few minutes. Thyroid nodules are 90 per cent benign non-cancers. In general, if a nodule is under two centimetres (a little less than one inch), it’s less likely to be a malignancy.
If a cancer is found, surgical removal is done. This means hormone replacement medication may be required for the rest of the patient’s life. Fortunately, the 30-year survival rate for the most common type of thyroid cancer is 95 per cent.