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Any nodule that is 4 cm or larger should be removed with thyroid surgery. Like any tumor or growth elsewhere in the body (face, forehead, forearm, neck, etc.), you cannot let thyroid nodules continue to grow or enlarge forever. There is no reason to let a thyroid nodule continue to enlarge or grow past 4 cm.
Any nodule that is 4 cm or larger should be removed with thyroid surgery. Many patients are told that thyroid nodule removal is not needed if they are not experiencing symptoms and the nodule is benign.
If a nodule is large or symptomatic, options include surgery to remove it or ablation techniques using radiofrequency or alcohol, which can shrink the nodule. In the case of cancerous thyroid nodules, your cancer care team will discuss a variety of options with you.
However, today more limited surgery to remove only half of the thyroid may be appropriate for some cancerous nodules. Near-total thyroidectomy may be used depending on the extent of the disease.
Those classified as high-risk nodules should be biopsied when more than one centimeter in size, whereas low-risk nodules—depending on their appearance on ultrasound—should not be biopsied until they are one and a half to two centimeters in size.
Large, hyperfunctioning, or cancerous nodules are typically treated surgically through removal of part or all of the thyroid gland. Some patients with thyroid cancer have spread of the cancer to nearby lymph nodes, which are also removed.
Most thyroid nodules are benign (non-cancerous) and cause no problems if left untreated. However, approximately 5 to 10 percent of thyroid nodules are cancerous – but even then, a patient might not need surgery right away because most thyroid cancers grow slowly.
This is even lower when the biopsy is reviewed by an experienced pathologist at a major medical center. Generally, benign thyroid nodules do not need to be removed unless they are causing symptoms like choking or dificulty swallowing. Follow up ultrasound exams are important.
ABOUT CAUSES DIAGNOSIS TREATMENT NEXT STEPS. What are thyroid nodules? The thyroid gland is located in the lower front of the neck, below the voicebox (larynx) and above the collarbones. A thyroid nodule is a lump in or on the thyroid gland.
Fine needle aspiration biopsy: the risk score and size of a thyroid nodule determines whether or not it should be biopsied. When a nodule is biopsied, cells and fluid are removed from the thyroid gland and examined by a pathologist.