# RAIU question



## tiffdb (Sep 5, 2010)

Thankfully, my PCP ordered the RAIU for me today. I have it Oct 4. 
I am curious though...I have seen an endo and an ENT who both told me that that test was uselesd and outdated. Why is that? I am confused. After I had a thyroid ultrasound a few months ago whoever read the ultrasound recommended the RAIU. But I didn't do it at that time because the endo said it wasn't needed. Does anyone know why doctors have such differing opinions on this?


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## Christinals (Sep 9, 2010)

Dear tiffdb,

I am having the RAIU on Weds of next week. Did they find something on your ultrasound. On my ultrasound there is a solitary nodule so they are testing to see if it is hot, warm or cold. Do you have nodules?

I am sure there are lots of people here to help you.
Best of luck!
-Christi


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## tiffdb (Sep 5, 2010)

ChristinaLS,

Yes, sorry i should have been more clear. I had a CT done because of a swollen lymph node in my neck. They said it was fine, but during it they noticed that my thyroid has a nodule on it. The CT report said 1 nodule, but the ENT Dr. who looked at it said "multinodular" on one side and a cyst on the other. So i had an US on the thyroid and it came back with no information other than recommending a RAIU test.

I wish I didn't have to wait so long to do the test, but they said that I had to wait a while after doing a CT because of the contrast.

thanks for your reply! i hope you get some answers from your scan.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

tiffdb said:


> Thankfully, my PCP ordered the RAIU for me today. I have it Oct 4.
> I am curious though...I have seen an endo and an ENT who both told me that that test was uselesd and outdated. Why is that? I am confused. After I had a thyroid ultrasound a few months ago whoever read the ultrasound recommended the RAIU. But I didn't do it at that time because the endo said it wasn't needed. Does anyone know why doctors have such differing opinions on this?


Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Ha, ha!! Good grief! This is the best of all the tests to really find out what is going on. And what about the uptake? How else do they propose to do that?

That did it; I think I have heard everything now.

Glad you got it scheduled. Sounds like that in and of it's self was tricky!

I would not have much confidence in those 2; that is for sure!


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## Christinals (Sep 9, 2010)

Andros said:


> Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Ha, ha!! Good grief! This is the best of all the tests to really find out what is going on. And what about the uptake? How else do they propose to do that?
> 
> That did it; I think I have heard everything now.
> 
> ...


- Andros - you are soooo funny! I swear I can hear you voice coming straight from your posts.

tiff - I have never had this test done, but I will surely post my experience and results as well (I'm sure I will need help understanding them). Andros has been preaching to me to get the RAIU for weeks now. She has told me for quite some time that this is the better test. I trust that she knows her stuff! I finally found a doctor that will do it for me. I cannot wait.  I want to know what's going on, and this test will give us a better clue. Best of luck to you, and I hope things go well for you. Please let us know how it all works out. :hugs:

-Christi


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

Get the RAIU! Ultrasound will not tell you if the nodule is hot or cold, which means if it could be cancer or not! thyroid ultrasound is an outdated test!
Some doctors are just clueless!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

lavender said:


> Get the RAIU! Ultrasound will not tell you if the nodule is hot or cold, which means if it could be cancer or not! thyroid ultrasound is an outdated test!
> Some doctors are just clueless!


Thanks for the back-up,Ms. Lavender!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Christinals said:


> - Andros - you are soooo funny! I swear I can hear you voice coming straight from your posts.
> 
> tiff - I have never had this test done, but I will surely post my experience and results as well (I'm sure I will need help understanding them). Andros has been preaching to me to get the RAIU for weeks now. She has told me for quite some time that this is the better test. I trust that she knows her stuff! I finally found a doctor that will do it for me. I cannot wait.  I want to know what's going on, and this test will give us a better clue. Best of luck to you, and I hope things go well for you. Please let us know how it all works out. :hugs:
> 
> -Christi


That's because it is funny!! LOL!! Hey, a girl just wants to have fun!


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## greatdanes (Sep 25, 2010)

I was in her boat almost two yrs ago. An ENT doc told me the only way I'd find out if my nodule was cancer was to have it surgically removed b/c the tests, even the FNA can all come back inconclusive and that even hot nodules can have cancer, so you'd never really be sure unless it was out.


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

It is true that you will not know for sure unless your thyroid is surgically removed and stuck under a microscope, but RAIU will give you a better idea what you are dealing with and help you to know if there is anything that needs further investigation.
I know I was hesitant to get RAIU as I did not want RAI and had trouble distinguishing them. The RAIU is a much smaller dose of radioactive material, and I got to leave the hospital with a special card in case I set off a geiger counter, but it was only good for a few days as opposed to several months with RAI. I was tempted to go to a government building just to see what would happen!


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## CareBear3030 (Jun 9, 2010)

lavender said:


> Get the RAIU! Ultrasound will not tell you if the nodule is hot or cold, which means if it could be cancer or not! thyroid ultrasound is an outdated test!
> Some doctors are just clueless!


During my RAIU they confirmed an extreme case of hyperthyroidism. But, actually, the fact of hot or cold nodules only indicate a higher percentage that you may or may not have cancer. My nodules were not hot, nor were they cold. They had the same exact uptake as the rest of my entire thyroid gland. This test was helpful in that it helped to dx my Graves, but did nothing for dx'ing my cancer.

THE ONLY TEST THAT WILL TELL YOU IF YOU HAVE CANCER OR NOT IS A BIOPSY.



greatdanes said:


> I was in her boat almost two yrs ago. An ENT doc told me the only way I'd find out if my nodule was cancer was to have it surgically removed b/c the tests, even the FNA can all come back inconclusive and that even hot nodules can have cancer, so you'd never really be sure unless it was out.


It is also true that your FNA could come back inconclusive with certain types of cancers. And, yes, removal would and will be the final say. (Even after a POSITIVE biopsy, they still sent my gland to pathology to confirm). But again, the RAIU does not confirm or deny cancer... only gives indication that more testing may or may not be needed.

I'm not saying its not helpful or necessary... but it is not the be all for cancer. When I got my RAIU I was expecting an answer but all I got was another test. In hindsight, they could have and should have just jumped to the FNA, because Cancer trumps Graves! No worry to treat Graves when you have Cancer.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

greatdanes said:


> I was in her boat almost two yrs ago. An ENT doc told me the only way I'd find out if my nodule was cancer was to have it surgically removed b/c the tests, even the FNA can all come back inconclusive and that even hot nodules can have cancer, so you'd never really be sure unless it was out.


That is all too often the case! Boy, I could tell stories about that!

You have contributed a very very important piece of information here.


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## Christinals (Sep 9, 2010)

Yes, I was told the same thing (biopsy is the only way to know FOR SURE of cancer).
I start my Low-Iodine diet today.

I have a question for you ladies.
If the RAIU came back showing hyper (as in CareBear's instance), AND a FNA came back inconclusive, what would be your next step, if any? Just asking 

tiff - Please keep us posted


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

I don't think there's any harm in a second FNA.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Christinals said:


> Yes, I was told the same thing (biopsy is the only way to know FOR SURE of cancer).
> I start my Low-Iodine diet today.
> 
> I have a question for you ladies.
> ...


That would depend on every single word in the pathology report re FNA. No 2 situations are the same.


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## tiffdb (Sep 5, 2010)

Thanks for all the info. Its all so confusing sometimes.

So...Greatdanes, what did you end up doing after your Dr. told you that?

I was told that my nodule(s) are too small to biopsy. So, I'm really curious what will happen after the RAIU. If they can't tell if they are hot or cold and suggest doing another test, what test would that be? The endocrinolgist told me at one point, "thyroid cancer grows really slow so we can just do another US in a year". That makes me nuts!! So, if its too small to biopsy, then I just have to wait until the (potential) cancer grows??? Thats terrible.

Has anyone had normal blood work and then had their RAIU show hyper?

There are lots of "what if's" rolling around in my head, but I suppose I should just wait and see and then ask the questions.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

tiffdb said:


> Thanks for all the info. Its all so confusing sometimes.
> 
> So...Greatdanes, what did you end up doing after your Dr. told you that?
> 
> ...


"Some" thyroid cancer grows slowly and "some" does not.

Read about the different kinds here............ http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/thyroid/risks.html


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## greatdanes (Sep 25, 2010)

tiffdb said:


> Thanks for all the info. Its all so confusing sometimes.
> 
> So...Greatdanes, what did you end up doing after your Dr. told you that?
> 
> ...


Hi this was almost 2 yrs ago, and the ent doc and family practice doc told me that nothing looked suspect and that the biggest one was barely 1cm. I was supposed to follow up in 6 months, but the military decided to move us again, so didnt follow up.(yes I know bad mommy,lol)I am in a hyper state right now and have an apt this week. If the nodule is still there, I will bypass the RAI, and go straight to the FNA.


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