Is TIRADS 3 a Treatment? Here Is What You Need to Know

Getting your thyroid nodules to be examined as early as possible is a crucial way in getting adequate treatment and intervention.

Thyroid nodules usually appear as lumps or bumps within the thyroid gland of the neck.

They’re usually not harmful but a few percentages must be examined when suspected that they carry some sort of threats.

There is a standardized rating system that adequately puts nodules into various categories as dependent on the characteristics observed from them via the ultrasound imaging.

Each level of categorization in this system represents the risk of malignancy associated with the nodules. This system is called Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS)

If you’ve been diagnosed with thyroid category 3, it means that there are some ultrasound features that make cancer slightly more probable in your nodule, although unlikely.

The nodule in this category is often rated as being mildly suspicious upon assessment.

Nodules categorized under thyroid category 3 show characteristics like isoechoic or hyperechoic texture, solid composition and so on but don’t show significant red flag signs like microcalcifications or irregular margins.

As you read on this article, beneficial insights will be provided to you in knowing if thyroid category 3 is a treatment in itself or just one of the procedures in diagnosis and management of your thyroid condition.

Key Takeaway:

• TIRADS 3 Overview: TIRADS 3 refers to a classification for thyroid nodules, indicating a low risk (2–5%) of malignancy.
• Not a Treatment: It is a diagnostic category, not a treatment. It helps guide management decisions.
• Typical Management: Nodules under TIRADS 3 are often monitored with follow-up ultrasounds rather than immediate biopsy or surgery.
• Individualized Approach: Further actions depend on factors like nodule size, growth, and patient-specific risks.
• Consult a Specialist: Always discuss results with a healthcare provider to determine the best course of action.
• For more information, check here and here.

Is TIRADS 3 a Treatment?

Thyroid category 3 must not be mistaken as a form of treatment; rather it’s simply a procedure in the utilization of a rating system called TIRADS to help you distinguish the risk of malignancy associated with your thyroid nodules.

In the process of thyroid nodule diagnosis and assessment, the TIRADS 3 rating is allocated to a nodule in order to help in making proper decisions on if to necessarily engage a further testing or to let benign nodules be.

In most cases of thyroid category 3, further evaluation is always strongly recommended because of the suspicious characteristics displayed by the nodule allocated to this category. Adequate follow-up and management will be done with ultrasound monitoring.

This is necessary so as to ensure that the nodule suspected is constantly observed so that any changes in the nodules nature can be quickly detected.

As a procedure in the utilization of TIRADS and not a treatment, the thyroid category 3 is rated to ensure that nodules that carry the potential to become cancerous are identified early.

Not only that, there’s also a reasonable chance that there will be a drastic reduction in the avoidance of unwarranted actions or biopsies being taken on benign or harmless nodules.

Thyroid category 3 nodules can be treated via several possible options which include constant monitoring using ultrasounds at regular intervals, radiofrequency ablation (which involves the use of heat generated by radio waves to lessen nodule size), and ethanol ablation (which involves the injection of ethanol to shrink nodule size).

More so, thyroid hormone suppression (which involves shrinking overactive nodules with high doses of thyroid hormone), radioactive iodine (which involves the destruction of overactive nodules by ingesting a radioactive form of iodine), and surgery (which involves the removal of some or all of the thyroid gland nodule that is large, cancerous, or causing compressive symptoms) are all possible options that you can engage.

FAQs

How do you treat a TIRADS 3 nodule?

• Treatment: TIRADS 3 nodules are generally not treated immediately.
• Monitoring: Regular ultrasound follow-ups are recommended to track changes in size or appearance.
• Intervention: Biopsy or treatment is only considered if there is significant growth or suspicious changes.

What does TIRADS category 3 mean?

• Definition: TIRADS 3 is a low-risk classification for thyroid nodules, with a malignancy risk of 2–5%.
• Description: These nodules show minimal suspicious features on ultrasound.

Should a TR3 thyroid nodule be removed?

• Removal Criteria: Surgery is typically not recommended unless the nodule causes symptoms (e.g., difficulty swallowing) or shows significant growth or suspicious changes.
• Monitoring First: Follow-up imaging is preferred over immediate removal.

What are the follow-up recommendations for TIRADS 3?

• Timeline: Follow-up ultrasounds are usually done every 1–3 years, depending on size and growth patterns.
• Changes to Monitor: Significant growth or development of suspicious features may warrant further evaluation or biopsy.

What does TR3 mean on a thyroid ultrasound?

• Meaning: TR3 (TIRADS 3) indicates a nodule with low malignancy risk based on the American College of Radiology’s TIRADS classification.
• Features: These nodules typically have one or no suspicious characteristics.

How to shrink thyroid nodules without surgery?

• Medical Therapy:
  • Thyroid hormone suppression therapy (in selected cases).
  • Ethanol ablation or radiofrequency ablation for benign nodules.
• Lifestyle: Adequate iodine intake and avoiding goitrogens may help.

What is the risk of malignancy with TIRADS 3?

• Malignancy Risk: TIRADS 3 nodules have a malignancy risk of 2–5%, which is considered low.
• Monitoring Priority: Regular imaging is key to managing the risk effectively.

Related:

1. When to Worry About Thyroid Nodules?
2. How to Shrink a Goiter Naturally
3. Exercise After Radiofrequency Ablation
4. Can You Live Without a Thyroid?
5. What Should TSH Levels Be After Thyroid Cancer?
6. How Fast Do Thyroid Nodules Grow?
7. How Do I Know If My Thyroid Nodule is Benign?
8. What Are the Symptoms of Cancerous Thyroid Nodules?
9. Is TIRADS 3 a Treatment?
10. Thyroid Ultrasound: Normal vs. Abnormal Findings
11. What Foods Reduce Thyroid Nodules?
12. What is a TIRADS Category 6?

Conclusion

As a rating within the TIRADS system and not a treatment, TIRADS 3 is used in classifying nodules that are termed to be mildly suspicious.

As an individual patient, having a detailed workup and adequate treatment when needed will allow for the effective management of most of the TR3 nodules.

Reference

1. Eleonora Horvath, Sergio Majlis, Ricardo Rossi, Carmen Franco, Juan P. Niedmann, Alex Castro, Miguel Dominguez, An Ultrasonogram Reporting System for Thyroid Nodules Stratifying Cancer Risk for Clinical Management, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 94, Issue 5, 1 May 2009, Pages 1748–1751, Retrieved from here
2. Meaning of ACR-TIRADS recommendation in favor of follow-up rather than FNAC in thyroid nodules. Retrieved from here
3. Optimization of the Management of Category III Thyroid Nodules Using Repeat FNA and TIRADS. Retrieved from here
4. Effects of Implementation of European Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System Risk Stratification in a Thyroid Cancer Program in Western Sweden: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Retrieved from here
5. Papini, E., Pacella, C. M., Solbiati, L. A., Achille, G., Barbaro, D., Bernardi, S., … Mauri, G. (2019). Minimally-invasive treatments for benign thyroid nodules: a Delphi-based consensus statement from the Italian minimally-invasive treatments of the thyroid (MITT) group. International Journal of Hyperthermia, 36(1), 375–381. Retrieved from here
6. Vargas-Uricoechea, H., Meza-Cabrera, I. & Herrera-Chaparro, J. Concordance between the TIRADS ultrasound criteria and the BETHESDA cytology criteria on the nontoxic thyroid nodule. Thyroid Res 10, 1 (2017). Retrieved from here
7. Russ G, Trimboli P, Buffet C. The New Era of TIRADSs to Stratify the Risk of Malignancy of Thyroid Nodules: Strengths, Weaknesses and Pitfalls. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Aug 26;13(17):4316. doi: 10.3390/cancers13174316. PMID: 34503125; PMCID: PMC8430750. Retrieved from here
8. Tom James Cawood, Georgia Rose Mackay, Penny Jane Hunt, Donal O’Shea, Stephen Skehan, Yi Ma, TIRADS Management Guidelines in the Investigation of Thyroid Nodules; Illustrating the Concerns, Costs, and Performance, Journal of the Endocrine Society, Volume 4, Issue 4, April 2020, bvaa031. Retrieved from here