Should political debate be about jobs not debt? Lobbyists battle amid deficit cuts Piers Morgan blasts British MP' s ' lie' Geyser of water lifts car into air Cops: Son parties with parents' bodies in house Migraines a deal breaker for Bachmann? Gay man turns himself ' straight' Murray to blame for Jackson' s death? Cops: Mom admits having teen sex parties Chihuahua chases off robbers Fallout after Murdoch testimony Geyser of water lifts car into air Bolden: NASA is very busy Are fast food calorie counts accurate? Hacking groups' possible agendas Astronauts aboard Atlantis reflect UK vs.

US tabloid culture Talking to teens about health, obesity Welcome home to U. Womens soccer team Could eye exams detect Alzheimer' s? Legal analysis of phone hacking scandal Man faked his identity for decades Murdoch in the hot seat Ex- nuclear plant operator speaks out CNN' s new video experience on i. Pad The Shot: Caption casts spell on Cooper Report: Murdoch to step down as CEO? Prioritizing federal spending Tea Party leader on default threat Could Rick Perry shake up GOP W.

H. race? GOP pushes ' cut, cap, and balance' Anderson Cooper answers your questions Marcus Bachmann defends clinic Famine strikes Somalia 11 million starving in Somalia 9/ 11 families to meet with Justice Dept.

PM Cameron addresses hacking allegations Bachmann questions farmers' claims Mrs.

Murdoch to the rescue Granderson: Debt talks need more women Debt talks - what' s the solution? Murdoch' s wife stands by her man James Murdoch discusses 9/ 11 victims Counting calories while eating out Hacking: ' Who signed the checks? ' Dr. Drew Murray to blame for Jackson' s death? Casey interview: Bonanza or backlash? Preview: Dr.

Drew with Bristol Palin Is Casey Anthony mentally ill? Summers on America' s growth prospects Fareed' s Take: Afghanistan' s future What in the World: Brazil overheating? Most expensive city in the world Lawmakers fighting like cats and dogs Fareed Zakaria answers your questions Bernard- Henri Levy speaks out on DSK Peter Godwin on Sudan Getting a Picasso into a war zone Debt crisis: Whatever happened to jobs? House vote ' one way of herding the cats' Experts skeptical of Murdoch' s ignorance Campbell: Cameron should admit ' error' ' Revolving door' guarded Murdoch paper?

Who is winning debt ceiling debate? Hacking whistle- blower was ' a good guy' Abrams: How far will hacking scandal go?

Former editor cites Murdoch son, Brooks Gay man turns himself ' straight' Can Casey Anthony ever be forgiven? Roseanne: I' m not good at marriage Chubby teen becomes beauty queen Shannon Tweed walks out on Gene Simmons Would Casey' s attorney let her babysit? Larry David: I want to do standup again My father was ' The Grim Reaper' Fergie: I' m addicted to being liked Will migraines impact Bachmann campaign? Murdoch acting like himself?

Gadhafi: Brega will be ' hell' Republican social issues in 2012 Murray' s defense wants jury sequestered Tot mom allegedly spotted at airport Cops: Son kills parents, throws party Where is Casey Anthony? Piers Morgan blasts Mensch' s ' lie' Trump: Bachmann is ' highly underrated' Murdoch takes pie in the face Piers Morgan: CNN host, ' AGT' judge Tom Arnold discusses his dark past Nancy Grace opens up on fiance' s murder Tom Arnold talks Arnold Schwarzenegger Piers Morgan believes Murdoch Murdoch done with newspapers?

Nancy Grace: Jury wasn' t listening to me Nancy Grace speaks about fiance' s murder Claustrophobic fighter pilot Impact of concussions to brain Ex- players sue NFL over concussion risks Brain injury patient back on the road Bounty hunter wants to sue Casey Anthony Khloe Kardashian' s Twitter outrage Hollywood hacking outrage J.

Lo and Marc Anthony split shocker Justin and Selena: Wedding crashers? Casey Anthony in disguise? Kim Kardashian' s mom gets facelift Lobbyists battle amid deficit cuts Debt debate gets ugly New TSA body scan less invasive Hackers turn tables on Murdoch empire Migraines a deal breaker for Bachmann? ' Nobody proved Murdoch was involved' Computer hackers attack ' Sun' Congressman battles home intruder Murdoch scandal: Who' s next? Herman Cain against proposed mosque?

Bachmann backs ' cut, cap and balance' Warren: " I Really Don' t Get it" Politicos agree: GOP field leaderless Sound of Sunday with Candy Crowley How Giuliani would negotiate debt talks How Giuliani would negotiate debt talks Giuliani: ' Not sure' I could win in NH Candy' s post- show analysis Graham has no confidence in compromise WH Budget chief: Time to act is now Rudy Giuliani on Murdoch, 9/ 11 and more Candy' s pre- show rundown

Treatment depends on the type of thyroid nodule you have.

Treating benign nodules If a thyroid nodule isn' t cancerous, there are several treatment options: Watchful waiting. If a biopsy shows that you have a benign thyroid nodule, your doctor may suggest simply watching your condition, which usually means having a physical exam and thyroid function tests at regular intervals. You' re also likely to have another biopsy if the nodule grows larger. If a benign thyroid nodule remains unchanged, you may never need treatment beyond careful monitoring.

Thyroid hormone suppression therapy.

This involves treating a benign nodule with levothyroxine ( Levoxyl, Synthroid, others) , a synthetic form of thyroxine that you take in pill form. The idea is that supplying additional thyroid hormone will signal the pituitary to produce less TSH, the hormone that stimulates the growth of thyroid tissue. Although this sounds good in theory, levothyroxine therapy is a matter of some debate. There' s no clear evidence that the treatment consistently shrinks nodules or even that shrinking small, benign nodules is necessary. Surgery.

Occasionally, a nodule that' s clearly benign may require surgery, especially if it' s so large that it makes it hard to breathe or swallow. Surgery is also considered the best option for people with large multinodular goiters, particularly when the goiters constrict airways, the esophagus or blood vessels. Nodules diagnosed as indeterminate or suspicious by a biopsy also need surgical removal, so they can be examined more thoroughly for signs of cancer.

Treating nodules that cause hyperthyroidism If a thyroid nodule is producing thyroid hormones, overloading your thyroid gland' s normal hormone production levels, your doctor may recommend treating you for hyperthyroidism. This may include: Radioactive iodine. Doctors often use radioactive iodine to treat hyperfunctioning adenomas or multinodular goiters. Taken as a capsule or in liquid form, radioactive iodine is absorbed by your thyroid gland, causing the nodules to shrink and signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism to subside, usually within two to three months. Anti- thyroid medications.

In some cases, your doctor may recommend an anti- thyroid medication such as methimazole ( Tapazole) to reduce symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Treatment is generally long- term and can have serious side effects on your liver, so it' s important to discuss the treatment' s risks and benefits with your doctor. Surgery. If treatment with radioactive iodine or anti- thyroid medications isn' t an option, you may be a candidate for surgery to remove your thyroid gland. Surgery also carries certain risks that should be thoroughly discussed beforehand.

Treating cancerous nodules Treatment for a nodule that' s cancerous usually involves surgery. Surgery. The usual treatment for malignant nodules is surgical removal, often along with the majority of thyroid tissue & mdash; a procedure called near- total thyroidectomy.

Risks of thyroid surgery include damage to the nerve that controls your vocal cords and damage to your parathyroid glands & mdash; four tiny glands located on the back of your thyroid gland that help control the level of calcium in your blood. After thyroidectomy, you' ll need lifelong treatment with levothyroxine to supply your body with normal amounts of thyroid hormone. & copy; 1998- 2011 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research ( MFMER) .

( CNN) - - President Obama embarked Thursday on his first presidential visit to Asia, an eight- day journey that will take him to five cities in four countries. Throughout the trip to Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea, Obama will emphasize the importance of Asian nations as vital U. S. partners on major issues such as economic growth, nuclear nonproliferation, the war in Afghanistan and climate change, three officials said in a briefing this week. The presidential itinerary includes formal talks with Asian leaders as a group and individually, a bilateral meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and the first participation by a U.

S. president in a summit of the 10- member Association of Southeast Asian Nations economic alliance. The itinerary also reflects Obama' s personal ties to Asia, where he spent part of his childhood. He will have a bilateral meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, where Obama lived from 1967 to 1971. As the first U. S. president with & quot; an Asia- Pacific orientation, & quot; Obama & quot; understands that the future of our prosperity and our security is very much tied to this part of the world, & quot; said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications.

It won' t be all diplomatic meetings, though. Obama' s first trip to China will include a & quot; town hall& quot; style meeting in Shanghai and sightseeing in Beijing. While in Japan he' ll meet the emperor and empress, according to Rhodes. Obama' s departure was delayed one day to allow his attendance at Tuesday' s memorial service at Fort Hood Army Post in Texas for the 13 people killed in a mass shooting there last week.

The revised itinerary cut a day from the stop in Singapore, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said earlier this week. En route to Tokyo, Obama will take time in Anchorage, Alaska, to speak to troops at Elmendorf Air Force Base during a two- hour layover.

The president will meet with new Japanese Prime Minister Yukio , Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, South Korean President Lee Myung- bak, Medvedev and Yudhoyono, and also will take part in an Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

APEC consists of 21 Pacific Rim nations that make up more than 50 percent of the world' s economic output. The forum sees its goal as & quot; facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia- Pacific region. & quot; Hatoyama and Obama have said they will affirm a strengthening of the bilateral alliance.

But the U. S. president will be greeted by a Japanese leadership that has pledged more independence from the United States and has said it is reviewing a bilateral deal to relocate a U.

Marine Corps base on Okinawa. The agreement was met with fierce local opposition. Increasing U.

S. exports to a region expected to grow by more than 7 percent next year will also be an important topic, said Michael Froman, deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs. Asia & quot; already takes about a quarter of our exports, and those exports are expected to increase as the region grows& quot; Froman said. The result could be an increase of & quot; hundreds of thousands& quot; in the current 1.

6 million U. S. jobs linked to Asian exports, he said.

The officials were careful to avoid any perception that Obama' s presence at the ASEAN meeting would amount to a bilateral discussion with the prime minister of Myanmar, who also will attend. After years of refusing direct talks with Myanmar, also known as Burma, the United States has indicated a possible re- engagement with the military regime it considers repressive for cracking down on political opposition, including the National League for Democracy led by detained Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. & quot; The statement we' re trying to make here is that we' re not going to let the Burmese tail wag the ASEAN dog, & quot; said Jeffrey Bader, the National Security Council' s senior director for East Asian affairs. & quot; We' re going to meet with all 10 and we' re not going to punish the other nine simply because Burma is in the room, but this is not a bilateral [ meeting] . & quot; In China, Obama will continue efforts to define and strengthen the relationship with the world' s largest emerging economy, which has a growing influence in Asia, Bader said. & quot; We see it as a relationship where we' re obviously going to have differences, where we are going to be competitors in certain respects, & quot; he said. & quot; But we want to maximize areas where we can work together because the global challenges will simply not be met if we don' t. & quot; Bader cited North Korea' s nuclear weapons program, the economy, climate change, human rights and Afghanistan as among the top issues for the China swing. On human rights, Bader said Obama is likely to address & quot; freedom of expression, access to information, freedom of religion, rule of law, and certainly Tibet. & quot; will make clear to Hu that he intends to meet in the future with the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, Bader said.

China, which rejects Tibetan aspirations for autonomy, opposes such high- level contacts with the Dalai Lama.

On North Korea, the State Department announced Tuesday that U. S. officials will travel to the country by the end of the year to seek a resumption of broader talks on ending the Pyongyang government' s nuclear program. The Obama administration has claimed initial progress in its strategy of forging an international effort including China, South Korea and other countries to put pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions.

Japan has been asking for a comprehensive solution to North Korea' s missile tests and the abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s. North Korea and South Korea reported an encounter Tuesday involving gunfire between two of their naval ships off the Korean Peninsula. No casualties were reported, and a State Department spokesman downplayed the significance of the incident.

CNN' s Tom Cohen, Kyung Lah and Ed Payne contributed to this report.

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Observing some kids after a head injury may help doctors decide which ones need a head x- ray, according to a new study published in Pediatrics. That' s important because researchers still aren' t sure whether too many of those x- rays, called computed tomography, or CT scans, might trigger cancer years later. CT scans can help doctors recognize more serious head injuries that need treatment.

But observation is probably a good strategy for kids who have some risk of a serious brain injury, but aren' t showing serious symptoms, said Dr. Lise Nigrovic of Children' s Hospital Boston, who worked on the study.

If a kids shows up at the ER very soon after a head injury, " you may just not have had enough time for symptoms to develop, " she told Reuters Health. Or, a kid " may have some symptoms that make you a little concerned, but you just want some time" before making a decision about doing an x- ray. " We all want to make sure that we use CT scanning in the cases where it' s likely to be positive and that we save children from the radiation for those that we know are very unlikely to be positive, " Dr. Martin Osmond, of the Children' s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, told Reuters Health. " This study adds important new information about who to observe" before making that decision, added Osmond, who has no ties to the new study. Nigrovic and her colleagues reviewed data on over 40, 000 kids with a head injury who were taken to one of 25 different emergency rooms. The original data had been collected by the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network.

Doctors treating the kids made a note in their records about whether each kid was kept in the hospital and observed by doctors and nurses before they decided whether or not to perform a CT scan. About 5, 400 kids - or 1 in 7 - were observed. Those kids were slightly less likely to get a CT scan: 31 percent of them had the head x- ray, versus 35 percent of kids when doctors made that decision right away. In both groups, fewer than 1 of every hundred kids had a serious brain injury. Twenty- six kids who were observed and sent home without a CT scan came back later for an x- ray - and 1 of them ended up having a brain injury diagnosed by the x- ray.

The research team concluded from that finding that observing some kids before making the decision about a CT scan might be a safe and effective way to cut back on the number of those scans. Nigrovic gave the example of a 4- year- old who fell off a swing. " They' re complaining of a headache ( and) they vomited once at home, " she said.

But, they are awake and talking 2 hours after the injury, making doctors less fearful. " That' s a great patient for observation, " she said. Osmond thinks the study is an accurate picture of how doctors are now treating these patients: In severe cases doctors will get a scan right away, in cases where they believe the symptoms are sufficiently mild, they' re likely to send the patients home, but in cases of doubt they' ll observe the child to see if there are any changes, he explained. Still, Osmond added, a few questions remain.

For example, it' s unclear just how long it makes sense for doctors to observe kids before deciding whether or not to do a CT scan or send them home. That, as well as how safe it is to put off CT scans while observing an injured kid, will be the focus of future research, Nigrovic said.