Hi@devil4ever,
In my opinion, sometimes the doctors choice of words can cause you to make decisions in a more panicked mode. The word tumor sounds so much more concerning than nodule. My nodule was very large (5.6 cm) and ended up being Hurthle Cell Carcinoma….I had been told and read that thyroid cancer cannot be diagnosed until surgery. I was being seen to monitor a nodule but didn’t want to have my thyroid removed unless there was a strong chance it was cancer. I was monitored for 10 years but the large nodule was causing problems. I read about a new procedure called Radio frequency Ablation( RFA) for thyroid nodules , where they can shrink the nodule. I went to another hospital to find out if I could be a candidate for the RFA. The doctor did a FNA ( biopsy) and sent the specimen for Affirma testing. I had been going to a cancer hospital, but had never heard of Affirma testing. The doctor informed me that it had about a 95% accuracy rating for determining if a nodule is cancerous. The testing showed that I had a 50% probability for having a Hurthle Cell Carcinoma. Due to that, I was not a candidate to have RFA, so I had surgery and the cancer was confirmed. I had a lobectomy and 1 parathyroid removed.
In my opinion, you might want to clarify the terminology the doctor used…. Is it a tumor or a nodule on your thyroid? If a nodule, you might want to consider having Affirma testing (it’s a regular biopsy that they send the material to the Affirma lab) to help you make a decision. You might also want to consider going for a second opinion from a doctor who specializes in RFA to see if the nodule can be shrunk, so you can keep your thyroid. In my opinion, removing an organ “ in case it’s cancer” is not a good plan…. And getting regulated on Synthroid is not as easy as people think. If it’s low probability of cancer, treatment options to shrink the nodule might enable you to avoid thyroidectomy.
Good luck!