In this Article

• What is the thyroid gland?
• How is the thyroid scan performed?
• When is thyroid scanning helpful?
• What is significant about whether a nodule is "hot" or "cold?"
• Summary
• Thyroid Scan Index

What is significant about whether a nodule is "hot" or "cold?"

Functioning or "hot" nodules only rarely are from cancer. Nearly all thyroid cancers are nonfunctioning or "cold" nodules. Moreover, even among "cold" nodules, cancer is infrequent (less than 5 percent of cases).

In summary

While the thought of taking something "radioactive" is not very appealing, it is important to remember that iodine concentrates only in thyroid tissue, making this test safe and also quite specific for thyroid disorders.

A thyroid scan can provide information on both the structure as well as the function of the thyroid gland. This information can help you and your physician determine if further investigations, procedures, or medications may be worthwhile.

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