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Indeterminate thyroid nodule

1974now50
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Dear nurses

i have posted before about lymph node swelling in neck, had a flexi camera, and today was USS +/- biopsy. The consultant asked if I had any thyroid problems…. So then shared that she could see small cysts on my thyroid and an indeterminate nodule…. But rather than doing a FNA she wants antibiody/antigen bloods done…. As the FNA can alter the blood results. She talked about the nodule possibly being malignant or benign…. Would these blood tests determine this? Thank you 

  • Hello and thanks for your post,

    It is difficult without being involved in your care to say very much but if your doctor is suggesting blood tests then these may be being done to see how well your thyroid is working. We have some information on our website about tests for thyroid cancer.    There are other thyroid conditions that can occur other then cancer and this will provide the doctor with more information about the health of the thyroid gland and how well it is working.

    Depending on what these results show they may then want to perform an FNA (fine needle aspiration).

    I can understand how unsettling this can be but try if you can not to over think it for now.

    I do hope that you know more soon. If at any stage you would like to ring and chat to one of he helpline nurses then you are more then welcome to do so. Our helpline number is freephone 0808 800 4040 and the nurses are here Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm.

    All the best,

    Catherine

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    I'm not a nurse, but having had thyroid cancer, one of the things about it is that it is very slow growing. It isn't necessarily something they need to find out right now. So my guess is that they want to do the bloods first, in case doing the FNA first might alter them.

    And thyroid nodules are very common and in the words of my endocrinologist, "nodules are common, most are benign, but obviously, we do have to check."

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