Overview
What are thyroid nodules?
Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located just below your Adam’s apple. It produces hormones that regulate your metabolism, which are all the chemical processes in your body that change food into the energy your body needs to work properly.
A thyroid nodule is an abnormal tissue or lump that grows on the thyroid. About three times as many women as men are diagnosed with thyroid nodules. Aging also increases your risk. In fact up to 70% of people may have a thyroid nodule by the time they reach age 70.
Thyroid nodules are typically discovered when you are being seen by a medical professional for another medical issue. Fortunately, most thyroid nodules are small and benign (not cancerous) and many patients with nodules do not require treatment. Still, we recommend following up with a future ultrasound to see if a small nodule turns into a larger one.
While small, there is always a chance of cancer. If you or your primary care provider thinks you may have a thyroid nodule, it is important to get it checked out. Ideally, they will refer you to a highly regarded team of endocrine specialists, such as the one we have at UW Health. Surgery is sometimes recommended to remove all or part of the thyroid, and most patients have this done on an outpatient basis.
Our endocrine surgery team is one of the largest in the U.S. All seven surgeons are fellowship-trained, which is the highest level of education possible for a medical specialty.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Know the symptoms to look for
Because they are usually small, painless and slow-growing, thyroid nodules are more frequently found by a doctor rather than a patient. If your thyroid nodule gets larger, you may be able to feel it yourself.
Other signs of a possible nodule include:
Swallowing difficulty
Hoarseness or unusual changes in your voice
Pain in your neck or throat
Swollen lymph nodes
Persistent cough
Diagnosis and treatment
If a provider believes your thyroid nodule needs further attention, you will be scheduled for an imaging ultrasound and potentially a fine needle biopsy. The biopsy procedure is performed in the office and allows for microscope examination of a small sample of your nodule tissue.
Fortunately, most biopsies show no cancer in the thyroid. A small percentage of biopsies are inconclusive. Should this be your situation, the surgeon will discuss with you the pros and cons of having all or part of your thyroid removed.
Patients who have their entire thyroid removed take a daily pill that provides essential hormones your thyroid previously produced. If only part of your thyroid is removed, you may or may not need hormone therapy. That will depend on your individual situation.
Meet our team
Expert care, here for you
UW Health has one of the nation’s largest endocrine surgery teams. Our team is at the forefront of the field, using several advanced techniques such as surgeon-performed ultrasound and intraoperative nerve monitoring. Because UW Health is an academic medical center, part of our mission includes training the next generation of endocrine surgeons and endocrinologists with the latest advances required to ensure world-class care for our patients.
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