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Thyroid Nodules
Surgery is the best treatment for thyroid nodules that are:
- Cancerous (malignant).
- Suspected to be cancerous.
- Noncancerous (benign) but large enough to cause problems with breathing or swallowing.
People who develop thyroid nodules after receiving radiation treatment to the head, neck, or chest are more likely to need surgery because their risk for developing thyroid cancer is greater. But most nodules in people who have had radiation therapy are not cancerous.
For information about thyroid cancer and its treatment, see the topic Thyroid Cancer.
Surgery Choices
The most common surgical procedure to remove thyroid nodules is thyroidectomy.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: March 28, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Matthew I. Kim, MD - Endocrinology | |
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