Could a swelling of thyroid in children be cancer?

Q: My daughter is having a thyroid problem. Recently a swelling on the left side of the neck has been noticed. Took an ultrasound test and doctor said that two abnormal growths are noticed. What could be this growth? Any chance of a cancerous growth?

A:Cancer of thyroid is very rare in children especially in the very young. The abnormal growth may be a benign thyroid nodule. This can be verified by a radionuclear scan and radio-iodine uptake of the thyroid gland. Final confirmation of diagnosis can be made by a fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) study.