"Dancing With the Stars" co-host BROOKE BURKE-CHARVET announced yesterday she has thyroid cancer.  

Doctors found a "tiny nodule" during a routine checkup, so further tests were ordered. 

Brooke said, quote, "I got my results back days later and they were atypical, which means that the doctors couldn't confirm whether the nodule was cancerous or benign.

"So I had to go and do a whole bunch of additional tests and get second opinions. Long story long, I got my results back and they were not good."

But she adds, quote, "I'm going to be fine.  And I feel really really strong.  Doctors say this is a good kind of cancer to have. 

"My doctor did tell me this is a happily-ever-after ending kind of thing.  I'm going fight through this."

Kind of a stretch for a lawsuit....

RAY ROMANO has been appearing on "Parenthood" this season as a grumpy photographer named Hank Rizzoli . . . and some publishing house called Rizzoli Publications isn't happy about that.

Rizzoli Publications specializes in coffee-table books on art, architecture, interior design and photography . . . and they believe, since the character is a photographer, the use of the name is hurting their reputation.  So they're threatening to sue NBC.

Rizzoli does own a trademark, but it sounds like a lawsuit would be more of a headache for NBC than anything else.