I have a thyroid nodule. i've had blood work done an a ultrasound. the doc is a little worried now have to have a nuclear scan. should i be worried?

Hyperthyroid?: Hi. For your nodule, unless you're hyperthyroid, the nuclear medicine scan will tell you NOTHING your doc doesn't already know from looking at your TSH and free T4. Assuming you're NOT hyperthyroid, the scan will show a "cold" nodule, which we already know if your TSH is normal. You need a fine needle aspiration biopsy for cytology to see if it's cancer. That's it. Then proceed from there.

May be tumor: A solitary nodule in the thyroid always has the potential of being a malignancy or an adenoma that will eventually convert to Ca. If a scan is performed and the lesion is cold, biopsy is not inducated since a benign appearing lesion may really be cancerous if the capsule is invaded. It is recommended that such a lesion be resected by thyroidectomy

Thyroid nodule: You should not be worried because it sounds like your doctor is doing everything proper and correctly to take care of you.

Most thyroid benign: I-123 scans may reveal hot nodules which are benign > 95% of the time or cold nodules which are benign > 80% of the time. Depending on ultrasound appearance with calcifications, irregular border, growth or size > 1 cm, your physician may recommend a fine needle aspiration biopsy. Overall most thyroid nodules are benign however may be cancerous approximately 10-15% of the time.

Not really: Sometime ultrasound exam of thyroid gland demonstrates nodules, solid or liquid.Nuclear medicine scan used to determine activity or functioning of nodule, decrease (hypo) or increased (hyper). Thyroid cancer accounts for a small percentage of thyroid nodules.Hot nodules are almost always noncancerous, but a few cold nodules are cancerous. Nodules larger than one cm usually are referred for biopsy