Right thyroid nodule enlarged size 2.6×1.8 cm in pet scan after 3 years of BC treatment

[chandraa]

Hi my mother had faced stage 3 breast cancer 4 years ago.completed all treatment (surgery,chemo, radiation) 3 years ago.Now in regular check up PET scan showed a lump in right thyroid with 2.8 × 1.8 cm.Doctor advised to have fnac test now.Any one have idea on it please advise.i am worried now.

[roxboxfox RadiationOncologist]

Perhaps if they doctor has mentioned FNAC.

FNAC will help answer the question and clear up your worries.

Let's hope for the best for your mother

[chandraa in reply to roxboxfox]

Thanks for your reply..

[chandraa in reply to roxboxfox]

Fnac report came as follicular neoplasm,thyroid.suspicious cytology.Here doctor is advising for surgery.Any other suggestions/advise please

[roxboxfox RadiationOncologist]

Two major types of Thyroid Cancers are seen:

FNA is usually easy to pick up Papillary Cancer and can distinguish Benign from Malignant.

Follicular Cancer cannot be picked up on FNAC easily. A diagnosis of Follicular neoplasm does not tell us whether it's Benign or Malignant.

There is a 30% chance this could be Malignant and FNA is suspicious that it may be this.

It looks in the early stages and Thyroid Cancers usually have a very high cure rates.

You need the Thyroid Surgery by Trained Surgeon. Your surgeon knows what's he/she is re commending.

You look to be on right track.

This thyroid Neoplasm in all probability does not seem to be correlated to Breast Cancer your mother had 3 years back.

But there have been rare case reports of such a spread which is rarest of rare presentation which is rare.

All the best to your Mom.

[chandraa in reply to roxboxfox]

Thank you very much for your detailed explanation.it clears my doubts.Once again thank you doctor for your quick replies.

[sumeet_shah Administrator in reply to chandraa]

Dr. Rohit has beautifully explained the need for surgery. We do not know it is benign or malignant. Could be either. Only when we remove the half of thyroid containing the follicular neoplasm and send for Frozen Section (pathology), we will know it’s benign or malignant. If benign, surgery ends there, nothing more need to be done. If malignant, the other half of thyroid may also need to be removed as also same sided nodes.

Your treatment is on the right track. Don’t worry. I have myself had at least three such cases this year itself, where my regular breast cancer survivors developed a thyroid nodule and we operated. Two were malignant, one was benign. Just to all add here, thyroid cancer has close to 99 percent cure rate (No other cancer has that). So please do not worry. Your mother will soon be all fine. Just go ahead and follow your Oncologist whatever he says.

[chandraa in reply to sumeet_shah]

Thank you very much doctor for your detailed explanation.i want to know instead of going for surgery is there medicine to decrease the lump size.?

[chandraa]

My mother admitted to hospital for surgery.But after two days the doctors advised to not to undergo surgery as the TSH value is 0.005 (ref range :0.39 -4.1).They asked us to come after 2 weeks to check the TSH value.