Doctor explains what to do if thyroid nodules are detected

A nodule is not a reason for surgery

The presence of a thyroid nodule does not in itself mean that a person will need surgery or even medication, surgeon-endocrinologist, oncologist and founder of the TyroVel network of safe thyroid surgery centers, Viktor Makaryin, told Gazeta.Ru. According to him, about 80% of nodules turn out to be benign and require only periodic monitoring. “There is no need to remove a growth just because it exists,” the doctor emphasized.

What examinations are needed

Any detected nodule, according to Makaryin, needs to be examined so that the doctor can assess the risk of a malignant process. Relying only on the size of the growth is wrong: a small nodular growth sometimes requires closer attention than a large one. The basic monitoring set includes periodic ultrasound, which evaluates the size, structure, contours and echogenicity of the nodule, as well as a test for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) — the main indicator of the gland's function. Additionally, a calcitonin test may be ordered: elevated levels can be associated with medullary thyroid cancer.

Biopsy and treatment — according to indications

A biopsy, the doctor explained, is not needed for every patient: it is ordered when the ultrasound picture and the size of the growth meet certain criteria — this helps avoid unnecessary procedures while still detecting a tumor in time if suspicions remain. If an examination does reveal a malignant growth, this does not mean that removing the thyroid gland is the only option: the approach depends on the type of tumor, its size, location, the degree of lymph node involvement and other factors. The article ends with a reference to an earlier report by NovGU stating that there is a dangerous tumor that can be missed during an ultrasound; the publication does not include details of that report.