The development of thyroid nodules into thyroid cancer may take years or even decades as well, and the relationship between the two transformations is not yet clear enough to specifically assess the time of development. In general benign nodular goiters generally take a longer time to become cancerous, which may take a few years or up to 30 years or more, but most also do not become cancerous. Benign adenomatous nodules are at risk of becoming cancerous, with a cancer rate of up to about 10%, but there is no definitive time. Patients with thyroid nodules who are exposed to high-risk factors such as radiation for a long period of time, or who do not change their lifestyle habits, may increase the probability of cancerous thyroid nodules. It is recommended that patients go to the hospital in time to undergo biopsy and puncture of the nodule to detect its pathologic typing, and opt for surgical treatment if necessary to prevent the cancer from turning into thyroid cancer.