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Please provide information and how much it hurts-for fine needle biopsy
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Dec 25, 2010 - 5:12 pm
Everyone, Please share information regarding fine needle biopsies? I have been reading some scarey accounts online and I am really nervous as I think I am going to need one possibly due to thyroid nodules. I read needle is supposed to be very small, yet one poster noted it felt more like a knitting needle. Yikes. Thank you. |
Joined: Apr 2010
the worst it felt like to me was a cross between getting a tattoo and a blood draw but on my neck
Joined: Oct 2010
Very small needle. Not what I consider painful, but I have been through childbirth. See my other post for more information.
Julie-SunnyAZ
Joined: May 2010
Thank you for your feedback.
I feel alittle bit better after reading your posts.
What kind of doctor is it that I would be referred to? An endocrinologist?
Where did you both have the FNA done? Was it done in an ultrasound room? Did you have the shots to numb the area? Did you have the topical numbing agent? Did you have any sedative? How long did it take?
Did you have any pain/swelling in the neck afterwards? Did you have many nodules? I am not sure how many nodules as so far I just received a copy of part of summary.
What does it mean if the thyroid is enlarged? Could this be from my chemos that I had for the uterine cancer? When I had chemo from the first chemo it always seemed to bother my glands. My oncologist said that was unusual.
What would be reasons they would need to remove thyroid if it is not cancerous?
That is scarey to think the FNA can come back non-cancerous and upon surgery the finding can still be cancerous.
Cindy
Joined: Jan 2010
I had a fine needle aspiration biopsy that was inconclusive. The endocrinologist that did it wanted to wait 6 months then repeat it. My internist said that was not good enough and sent me to a surgeon who looked at my I131 uptake and scan and said the thyroid needed to be removed since the scan looked suspicious. I had stage IV papillary thyroid carcinoma, which means it spread to the lymph nodes. If I had waited 6 months things could have been worse. I am 2 1/2 years post surgery. I have had 2 RAI treatments and still have a measurable tumor marker. I hope this info is helpful. I don't mean to scare you but maybe they need to answer a few questions before you have the biopsy. Keep us posted.
Joined: Oct 2009
Mine was done by an Endocrinologist in an ultrasound place. I think I had a lidocaine injection first. They used the ultrasound to guide the needle. It was unpleasant but not overly painful. I think that if you are really nervous they might be able to prescribe an anti-anxiety med ahead of time but you likely would not need that. I had one nodule but it was rather large as nodules go so I had a number of needles used during the FNA. My neck was a bit sore for a few days but nothing aspirin could not handle. If I remember correctly, there was only one insertion point through which the doc angled the various needles, one at a time.
Thyroids can be enlarged due to endocrine issues that aren't necessarily related to cancer. Sometimes they remove part of a thyroid if there is a suspicious nodule so they can do the pathology. Best to remove it and know than to wait if the nodule is of a certain size or has suspicious characteristics, so I have been told. I had a total thyroidectomy myself. Even if it's inconclusive at the time of the FNA and found to be cancerous at surgery, at least you'd be on your way to the pathway to treatment. Papillary thyroid cancer is very treatable. Then again, perhaps the FNA will be clearly non-cancerous or surgery will confirm it is non-cancerous if the FNA comes back inconclusive. My advice is one step at a time. Try not to get ahead of yourself too much with the "what ifs".
Best to you.
Joined: May 2010
Perhaps I will be advised to have a scan.
I am guessing that I will have to be sent to an Endocrinologist by my gyno surgeon/oncologist. He is the one that ordered the ultrasound, as during the summer when I started chemo, the incidental of the thyroid nodules showed up on an ultrasound. He said we would wait til I finished my chemo to look at it further.
Yes, I guess one step at a time is what I need to remember....
I am scared to think I could need surgery......I had two major surgeries, end of March and end of April for my uterine cancer-which was major major surgery and I had 6 chemos and 25 radiations this year. My immune system is still recovering, and my bloodcounts are still working their way back up after chemo. So I don't feel my body is super strong to have another surgery.
Joined: Oct 2010
Hi Cindy,
One of my FNA's were done at my ENT's office. The other two were done at the hospital with Ultrasound guidance. You could be referred to both an ENT and and Endocrinol