THYROID DISEASE » Thyroid Cancer

anaplastic thyroid cancer

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about anaplastic thyroid cancer. For more, visit the Thyroid Disease website ThyroidDiseaseWiki.com.

Q: Which is best hospital for Anaplastic thyroid cancer in India ?
Can some one guide which one is the best clinic/hospital for Anaplastic throat cancer ? Surgery has been done and 30 sittings of IMRT (Radaitaion therapy) provided to the patient, yet doctor is not sure for long life ?

A: TATA Memorial Hospital – Mumbai.(best & they are dedicated)

Q: What type of pain meds would generally be prescribed for a patient suffering from anaplastic thyroid cancer?

A: The range is great depending on the individual. Bone pain from cancer or certain cancer treatment medications is handled differently than nerve pain, etc. Some common ones are acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, morphine, hydromorphone, hydrocodone, oxycodone, codeine, fentanyl, dilauded, methadone, amitriptyline, imipramine, doxepin, trazodone, gabapentin, prednisone and dexamethasone.
The method of application is also different depending on the individual — pill form, patch form and pain pump form are common types.

Q: what ethnicity does anaplastic thyroid cancer affect the most?

A: Females who are White or Asian have a higher risk of getting thyroid cancer. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is usually seen in people older than 65 and all different races. There’s not a whole lot of specific data on Anaplastic thyroid cancer due to the fact that it accounts for 1% of all thyroid cancers, and thyroid cancer accounts for around 1% of all cancers.

Q: Is there any alternative treatement for Anaplastic Thyroid cancer.?
My mother rencety had total thyroidectomy and she got diagonosed with Anaplastic Thyroid cancer. Every where I read that it typically requires a very aggressive treatment plan with surgery, radiation and sometimes even chemotherapy.

I am trying to find for any other possible alternative treatment options like Naturopathy / Homeopathy / Ayurvedic etc.

A: Please don’t pay attention to the person above with the link to “their” aol site, it’s a scam.

I would suggest looking at some of the links I provided below. One option for your mom is to seek out possible clinical trial drugs; you might find that there is a new, possibly more effective drug in the testing stages that your mom can take if she is selected for a clinical trial.

The main website for clinical trials is:

http://clinicaltrials.gov/

and under the term “anaplastic” I found these possibly useful hits (if the link does not work, simply go to clinicaltrials.gov and do a search for “anaplastic”,”anaplastic thyroid” or “anaplastic thyroid cancer”:

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/search;jsessionid=5F117F9938258D8A3FA429531D2A42F7?term=anaplastic+thyroid

Some drugs that are being tested now include:

-Imatinib (Gleevec): http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00115739?order=8
-Combretastatin A4:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00060242?order=9
-Combination Treatments:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00077103?order=3
-Sorafenib:

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00126568?order=5

Please check the site out. Note a few things:
-The clinical trials may apply only to certain conditions, so make sure your mom might qualify
-Jot down various drug treatments (many ARE NOT known by the doctor who is treating your mom, since they are brand new in many cases). Make sure you don’t simply ignore a new treatment option simply because your doctor doesn’t know about it.

Here are some other sites that may interest you:

On Thyroid Cancer Generally:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/treatment/thyroid/patient

Treatments for Anaplastic Cancers (conventional)

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/thyroid/Patient/page8

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_4x_treatment_of_thyroid_cancer_by_stage_43.asp?sitearea=cri

Clinical trials:

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_4X_Clinical_Trials_for_Thyroid_Cancer_43.asp?rnav=cri

Some Alternative Treatment Options:

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/ETO_5.asp?sitearea=ETO

Q: can someone suggest treatment for anaplastic thyroid cancer?
my father is 70 years old.he does not have any symptoms except hoarseness of voice

A: First and foremost, he needs to have this thyroid and cancerous lymph nodes surgically removed. Do to its poor responsiveness to Radioactive Iodine, Radiation therapy usually combined with chemotherapy would be the next treatment steps. It’s best to look into clinical trials as well. Good luck!

Q: Is there any way to reduce side effects of external Radiation for Thyroid cancer?
My mother has Anaplastic Thyroid cancer. She has already started treatement for external radiation (one week is over and still 5 more weeks to go)

Is there any way to reduce side effects of external Radiation for

A: Not really. You just have to treat the side effects as they come up. Her doctor should be examining her about once a week during treatment. He should be able to give her something for whatever bothers her during treatment. I had a huge radiation sore throat and also got shingles. But they were right on it with some treatment.
Best wishes

Q: URGENT!!!Does anyone know any Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer patient who’s survived more than 5 yrs aftr detection?
i mean, WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE SURVIVAL???

A: My cancer was papillary but de-differentiated. Mine is like anaplastic. I recently had a thoracotomy to remove cancer that had spread near the heart. It has been 5 years since my detection. They just keep removing cancer as they find it in PET scans. I have a group if you want to chat further, see the link

Q: My mother was diagnosed with Anaplastic throat cancer. She underwent surgery too and then 25 sittings of IMRT?
My mother aged 54 years is staying in India and getting treatment at Bangalore. She had a swelled neck for a no of years. She was recetly dignosed for Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer in Bangalore city of India. Doctor performed surgery and provides radio therapy 2 times a week since last 4-5 months. He opines that despite medical treatment, he does not know how long my mom’s life is. He says ‘keep ur fingers crossed’. Of course, it triggers trauma for me and my siblings.

I sincerly request you to guide me how to save my mother’s life. Which one is the best clinic or best doctor to treat Anaplastic cancer ?If India has no option,in USA, where should I go ?

A: I sorry to hear about your mother.

One of the biggest factors in how long a cancer patient will live is how soon it was discovered and what it’s “stage” was. That means how much it has spread. Obviously, the more spread, the worse the prognosis.

Your best bet may be to check with the oncology (cancer) department at a major teaching hospital in say Delhi or Kolkat (spelling?). They would need all your mom’s records, just as any center in the US would.

As for US centers, 3 of the best would be The Mayo Clinic, The Cleveland Clinic, and Sloan-Kettering in Ny.

Best of luck to you & your family.

Q: can needle biopsy get benign tumor become malignant cancer?
some people say this is a myth, but this makes sense as some tumors become malignant for some reason at some point. So if biopsy shows the tumor is benign u will have to repeat this biopsy (every month? as some malignant cancers can kill within 3 months like thyroid anaplastic cancer) to make sure it did not get malignant yet – so what’s the point in this procedure unless u actually have malignant cancer in the first place?

A: It is true that some benign tumors can become malignant. It is however very rare for that to happen. It is highly unlikely that a needle biopsy can cause a tumor to become malignant. Malignancy is caused by a mutation below the cellular level. Mutations are either genetic, chromosomal or caused by damage from chemicals, NOT damage from macro pressures. People do not get cancer from blunt force trauma or cuts, they get cancer from the cellular changes caused by radiation or smoking or…etc. A needle biopsy can show if a tumor is benign or malignant and is necessary to be repeated if your tumor is at risk for becoming malignant because early detection could save your life. Some people with non-cancerous tumors elect to have the affected part of their body removed anyway to be sure that the malignancy can never form (e.g. breasts, uterus, prostate). Another reason for repeat needle biopsies is that a needle can only reach one tiny point in the organ and there could be cancer elsewhere that the needle did not touch (e.g. liver). If a doctor has advised you to have a needle biopsy, please do it. It CANNOT cause you to develop cancer. Really.

Q: if scans can early detect cancer why r we not doing them often enough?
i mean e.g. ultrasound and MRI scans that r harmless, and can detect cancer early before it is too late to cure it (some cancer types develop within 3 months rather then 3 years e.g. thyroid anaplastic cancer, etc . why r we not doing them say each 2-3 months to be on safe side? is it due to costs or pure stupidity? better be safe then sorry no?

A: It’s a bit too soon to say that MRI scanning is “harmless.” Better to say that harm has not yet been proven, as an MRI is a relatively novel test. An MRI of the head takes about 45 min in the machine. An MRI of the entire body would take several hours per person. 300 million people x 3 hours each = 900,000,000 hours. That’s 1.3 million months for one pan-scan of the entire US. Not counting the time it takes to look at all those pictures. Even spread among multiple MRI machines, that’s nuts. Every 2 or 3 months as you suggest…..would be inane. Also, what if you find a thyroid nodule or an adrenal nodule or a liver cyst? All three of these are VERY common, and mostly benign. Are you going to sign all of those people up for biopsies now? Those aren’t without risk.

I’m glad you left CT scans out of this, as they do have ionizing radiation and have the potential to cause cancer if you did them enough.

An ultrasound isn’t a great tool for picking up small asymptomatic cancers. You don’t get a great look at the pancreas, you can’t see through bone to the brain, you can’t see through air to look at the lung or the colon.

Also, many cancers don’t have much better death rates even when diagnosed earlier. It seems like survival time is longer, but it just seems that way because you picked it up earlier. It’s called lead-time bias. Diagnosing anaplastic thyroid cancer is a pretty dismal diagnosis no matter what stage you pick it up in. Same with pancreatic cancer.

Q: how often to do routine (ultrasound) scans against cancer to be safe ?
my grandmother died of thyroid anaplastic cancer. it killed her in 3 months. If she was undergoing screening ultrasound scans each year, it still would kill her, as this developed within few months. so we should do these scans each 2 weeks to discover this crap as soon as poss?

this question applies to other cancer types that develop similarly quick and and can not be cure when give symptoms and that you are not safe doing routine scans say yearly….
obviously classic yearly check ups are not frequent enough!

A: You should undergo complete medical checkup every year. If there are abnormal signs and symptoms, then the doctor will conduct further tests including ultrasound scan.

Q: My mothher was diagnosed with Aaplastic throat cancer. She underwent surgery too and then 25 sittings of IMRT?
My mother aged 54 years is staying in India and getting treatment at Bangalore. She had a swelled neck for a no of years. She was recetly dignosed for Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer in Bangalore city of India. Doctor performed surgery and provides radio therapy 2 times a week since last 4-5 months. He opines that despite medical treatment, he does not know how long my mom’s life is. He says ‘keep ur fingers crossed’. Of course, it triggers trauma for me and my siblings.

I sincerly request you to guide me how to save my mother’s life. Which one is the best clinic or best doctor to treat Anaplastic cancer ?If India has no option,in USA, where should I go ?

A: Sanjay, I am so sorry to hear this about your mom. Have you tried prayer? You know prayer is a very strong tool when things are out of our control!!

I feel for you and your siblings and if you all are wanting to bring her to the USA for more treatment….I would suggest MD Anderson, Houston, Texas! It is one of the top hospitals for cancer. They really are on the “cutting edge” scientifically, with cancer.

I have a cousin, she is now fighting her third bout of cancer. This time, it came back beside her spine! A very dangerous place for this to be! Her docotrs gave up on her here! However, she went to MD A nderson and she is doing well! So, yes, I have a family member who has turned to them as well.

I will be praying for you, your Mom and your siblings. May God bless you and guide you!

Q: What r the fastest progressing / aggressive cancers?
i know that thyroid anaplastic cancer can kill u within 2-4 months from its start. when they diagnose it, it is too late

1) what r other cancer types with similar prognosis?

2) what is the way to early detect them and survive?

A: I am not a doctor, so can only speak from experience of having seen what happens to friends, brain cancer killed one of my closest friends within three weks of being diagnosed, the only indication he had of his illness was an occasional sight problem, he thought he needed new glasses, and another friend with liver cancer, which was less than two months from diagnosis to him passing away.

Neither of these cancers are curable and I believe like other cancers are more aggressive the younger the patient.

I hope you receive the answer you need from a professional person, and I truly hope that you have only good news.

Q: what r the fastest progressing / aggressive cancers?
i know that thyroid anaplastic cancer can kill u within 2-4 months from its start. when they diagnose it, it is too late

1) what r other cancer types with similar prognosis?

2) what is the way to early detect them and survive?

A: The cancers that I know the most about that are the most aggressive . . actually have no names . . they are unspecified because they are so abnormal looking that almost no known treatment is effective. They can arise in an unknown location within the body, metastasize, and are so aggressive that no response is seen from chemotherapy . . if they are removed surgically they grow back within weeks . . and radiation is totally ineffective. These types of tumors quickly overwhelm the body and the patient passes before any type of treatment can be done.

Cancer of Unknown Primary

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1X_What_is_cancer_of_unknown_primary_58.asp

A: Well, you wouldn’t know it was malignant unless you got the biopsy, so…………. I don’t think, although I am not sure, that biopsy change the disposition of the cells to become malignant eventhough they may do solater due to another cause.

thyroid cancer symptoms

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about thyroid cancer symptoms. For more, visit the Thyroid Disease website ThyroidDiseaseWiki.com.

Q: What were your thyroid cancer symptoms?
I was just diagnosed with hypothyroidism as well as nodules that may be cancerous. To those of you who have had thyroid cancer, what kinds of symptoms did you experience prior to your diagnosis? I know symptoms are different for everyone, but I’m really worried right now, and any information you can give me about this would be really helpful.

A: The only symptom I had was a large, hard lump on my throat. Many people have nodules, and the vast majority (95%) are benign, so more likely than not, you don’t have to worry.. Here’s a list of symptoms: http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/thyroid-cancer-symptoms also check out http://thyca.org for everything you’ve wanted to know about thyroid cancer.

Q: What are the symptoms for thyroid cancer ?
thanks all..

cats … can you tell me what are the other multitude symptoms your daughter had ?

A: There are different types of thyroid cancer (carcinoma of the thyroid), and the most common types (papillary carcinoma and follicular carcinoma) are highly curable if detected early. Up to 97% of these common types of thyroid cancer that occur in younger people are completely cured with appropriate treatment. Less common types, including medullary carcinoma and anaplastic carcinoma, tend to spread more rapidly and extensively than the other types and have a worse prognosis.

Most commonly, thyroid cancers in the early stage produce no symptoms. As the cancer grows, a small lump or nodule can be felt in the neck. The vast majority of thyroid nodules are caused by benign conditions, but about one per cent of these lumps represent early stages of thyroid cancer. If the cancer spreads, it can cause symptoms that include:

Problems with swallowing
Hoarseness
Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck
Breathing difficulty
Pain in the throat and/or neck
Remember, 99% of nodules in the thyroid gland are benign, but only your doctor can determine if a lump in your neck is cancerous. Even the symptoms above can be caused by infections and other benign conditions. If you have a lump in the neck or have the above symptoms, you should visit your doctor to determine the cause of your symptoms.

Q: Thyroid cancer symptoms at onset & treatment?
..oops That was 3 questions. Sorry!!
I recently learned that I have thyroid cancer. I’m still waiting to find out if I’ll need only part or my whole thyroid removed. I have two questions actually…

1. Did you have any symptoms leading to finding out you had thyroid cancer (websites say there are no symptoms, but people say otherwise).
2. How was the surgery, recovery time, etc… does everyone have to take RAI after the surgery?
3. Was further cancer screening done?

A: I found out I had thyroid cancer 3 years ago and up until my diagnosis I had no symptoms they found mine by accident when I had a ct scan of my chest and then sent me immediately for a biopsy but after I was diagnosed I noticed that swallowing was hard guess you don’t pay attention to stuff like that unless you know there is an issue my tumor size was 3.5 inches which is big For surgery if you have a choice I would get your entire thyroid removed since that procedure is the best in limiting any recurrence and for me the surgery wasn’t to bad I was only in the hospital overnight able to go home the next day and the pain was very minimal the hospital sent me home with basically just a strong ibuprofen and that worked for the pain and as far as RAI after surgery not all doctors do it really it depends on the doctor and what they find during surgery but even that is not bad and for further screening there is a tumor mark blood test for the thyroid which is pretty accurate from what I understand but if you have thyroid antibodies like i do the test in not reliable and then your only option may be low dose RAI and body scan. Best of luck to you and hope I was able to help

Q: What are some possible symptoms of thyroid cancer (or even any kind of cancer)?
I am a 23 year old female, I have quite a large goiter (enlarged thyroid gland) and I am worried that it may be cancerous. Please help if you can, any information would be truly useful and most appreciated.

A: I am 27 and was just diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Cancer. 80% of all masses (nodules) on the thyroid are benign. I actually didn’t notice anything. How they found it was I became diabetic with both my pregnancies and the endocrinologist found it in an ultrasound. Then they did blood tests which came back inconclusive. The next step was a radoactive iodine to determine that it was a cold nodule and not a goiter like you have. The final step was an FNA (fine needle aspiration) to determine if it was cancerous. It was so I had a total thyroidectomy. I’m in week 3 without my thyroid. Waiting until 6 weeks so I can start the radiation treatment. Then I’ll be on synthroid the rest of my life. Good news is that I feel good except for the off menstrual cycle and the tiredness. The scar is not large either. I really wish you well and hope that this is just a goiter. Most times medicine helps it or they’ll just remove it. That is for a doctor to decide. Here is a website that I found most informitive when I was diagnosed.

Q: What are some symptoms of Thyroid Cancer?

A: Thyroid Cancer Symptoms
Thyroid cancer is a disease that affects the thyroid. The thyroid is a gland located in the front part of the neck.

The first thyroid cancer symptom that patients usually experience is swelling or a small lump in the front of the neck. Many times these lumps are benign, but need to be further evaluated by a physician.

What Is Thyroid Cancer?

Thyroid cancer is a disease in which thyroid cells become abnormal, grow uncontrollably, and form a cancerous tumor. If left untreated, thyroid cancer can spread and cause harm to other parts of the body through a process called metastasis.

There are four major types of thyroid cancer. The four major types are: papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic. The different types of look different under a microscope and grow at different rates.

Papillary cancer. This type of thyroid cancer develops in the cells that produce thyroid hormones containing iodine. Papillary cancer grows very slowly and contains cells that are similar to healthy thyroid cells. Papillary cancers account for about 60 to 80 percent of all thyroid cancers.

Follicular cancer. This type of cancer also develops in thyroid cells that produce iodine-containing hormones. About 10 to 30 percent of thyroid cancers are follicular cancers.

Medullary cancer. Medullary cancer is more difficult to control than papillary and follicular thyroid cancers. It is more difficult to control because the cancer cells tend to spread to other parts of the body. The cells involved in medullary cancers produce calcitonin. Calcitonin does not contain iodine. About 5 to 7 percent of all thyroid cancers are medullary cancers.

What is the Thyroid Gland?

The thyroid gland is a type of endocrine gland, that secretes hormones (thyroglobulin) necessary for growth and proper metabolism. The thyroid gland also maintains blood calcium balance within a narrow range. The thyroid gland is necessary for life. It is located in the lower part of the neck.

What Causes Thyroid Cancer?

The exact cause of thyroid cancer is unknown. However, several factors have been noted to increase the risk of developing thyroid cancer. Some of the noted factors are having a goiter (an enlarged thyroid gland), the presence of nodules on the thyroid (nodules are bumps or uneven areas of enlargement), radiation exposure, family history of thyroid cancer, chronic infections or inflammation of the thyroid.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Thyroid Cancer?

Early stages of thyroid cancer usually has no symptoms, it is just a small lump in the thyroid. As the cancer grows, it may produce the following symptoms: Neck Mass, Hoarseness, Neck Pain, Swallowing Difficulty, Breathing Difficulty, and Swollen Glands.

Can Thyroid Cancer be Prevented?

Unfortunately, since most people with thyroid cancer have no known risk factors, it is very difficult to prevent most cases of this disease.

Can Thyroid Cancer be treated?

Yes. The treatment for thyroid cancer depends on the type and stage of disease, as well as the age and overall health of the patient. Types of treatment used are: surgery (removal of the diseased part of the thyroid), chemotherapy, radioactive iodine therapy and/or hormone therapy.

Effects of Treatment

Statistics

Each year in the U.S.A. there are about 15,600 people diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
About 1,200 people die from it each year in the United States.
Women are affected about three times more than men.
Thyroid cancer is more common in people of Asian descent.
Lymphedema

Other thyroid cancer symptoms include:

difficulty swallowing

cough that is not caused by a cold and is persistent

hoarseness not from a cold

enlarged neck node

Keep in mind that these could also be symptoms of other illnesses. If you are experiencing anything that you are concerned with, please see your doctor. Nothing can substitute the examination of a healthcare professional.

Q: Thyroid Cancer-Second occurance symptoms?
For anyone out there who has had a second bout of Thyroid Cancer, what were your symptoms? Or was it diagnosed during an exam? I have Pappillary. Please also list which type of thyroid cancer you have. I can’t find any information on the web about second occurances.

A: 25 years ago I had thyroid cancer and lost the entire thyroid
along with all parathyroids and the major neck muscle on left
side. I had chemo,radiation an three more surgeries.

last week I had surgery .after cat scan my doctor found one
large tumour under the jawline…very embedded with scar tissue
and several small tumors located in the left side of my neck.

I am waiting for results…

I would definetly suggest a cat scan if you are having troubles,
it will detect tumours that can not be found during a manual hands on exam.

I hope this might be a bit of help to you
if not message me with any specific questions you have.

regards……and best of luck to you.

Q: symptoms of thyroid cancer…?
what are the symptoms….
NO I’M NOT PARANOID…JUST RULING THINGS OUT…I THOUGHT THIS IS A PLACE FOR QUESTIONS,……..NOT RUDE PEOPLE.

A: had it, did it, done. swelling, tiredness, no hair growth, see your doctor for lab tests to confirm.

Q: Thyroid cancer……………..?
What is the first symptom you would experience if you have Thyroid cancer???????? And if a cancer/disease gave you a list of symptoms and you only had one of the symptom and that symptom is a common symptom for other things… but u didnt have any of the others… should you get worried that u have that disease/cancer?

A: What are symptoms of thyroid cancer?

Early thyroid cancer often does not cause symptoms. But as the cancer grows, symptoms may include:

A lump, or nodule, in the front of the neck near the Adam’s apple;

Hoarseness or difficulty speaking in a normal voice;

Swollen lymph nodes, especially in the neck;

Difficulty swallowing or breathing; or

Pain in the throat or neck.

These symptoms are not sure signs of thyroid cancer. An infection, a benign goiter, or another problem also could cause these symptoms. Anyone with these symptoms should see a doctor as soon as possible. Only a doctor can diagnose and treat the problem.

Q: Thyroid Cancer?
I have been told there is a chance that I have thyroid cancer. I will be meeting with a specialist at the end of the month to determine what will be happening next.

I guess my questions are many:

1) What are good resources on the net to find out more? I figure Web MD would have good info – anything any better and more specific?

2) What are the options? I know every case is different, but is there anyway I can know what I am facing – so that I know what kind of questions to ask once I meet with the doctor?

3) What chances are that it could spread? Where could it spread to, and what other symptoms would I be looking for?

(I’ve been told that the tests for my thyroid are normal, but I know I have had a large thyroid for almost 20 some years now. But this is the first it has hurt like this in a long time – I have the raspy voice from time to time, and can feel extremely fatigued with a temp)

Any info anyone can give either here or by email would be aprpeciated.

A: I was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer 5 years ago. First I’ll answer your questions.

1-Best resource for thyroid cancer is www.thyca.org.

2-There aren’t too many options. Once diagnosed with thyroid cancer, you must have surgery to completely remove your thyroid gland. This is called a total thyroidectomy. Afterwards, you will have to take a pill everyday for the rest of your life. After surgery, most people will have RAI. That stands for radioactive iodine. Thyroid glands suck up iodiine. So the radioactive iodine goes in and “kills” any remaining thyroid tissue or cancer tissue. It’s taken in the form of a pill. The radioactive isotope is called I-131. Some doctors will say that surgery is enough. But the RAI really is what goes in as the “cleanup crew” to kill any remaining cancer.

3-Thyroid cancer is a very slow spreading cancer (usually). If it spreads, it’s usually to the lymph nodes nearby. Some very rare thyroid cancers can spread to the lungs or brain but usually it’s slow.

Most thyroid cancers are very treatable and some would even say it’s curable. First step for you will be an ultrasound of your thyroid. Next would be a biopsy which is called a Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA). A needle is inserted through your neck, into your thyroid, and cells are removed. Sounds painful but it’s not. Takes less than a minute and feels like a pinch. If the results come back as cancer, you’ll have the surgery and about 2 months after surgery you’ll have the RAI.

Best of luck to you. The thyca website is really wonderful.

Regards,
mari

Q: could i have thyroid cancer? i have all the symptoms..?
so i have almost all the symtoms but one. i did the neck check and i feel a small bump in my throat. my mom is going to take me to the hospital today or mite just wait to take me to the doctor monday. i also just ffound put i had ploryasy? idk how to spell it. but when i went to the hospital they never check my throat i think they forgot bbecause they were to focused on my heart and things. so idk.
what do i do?

by the way im 16

has anyone had thyroid cancer?

A: What are all the symptoms you have?? How did you feel the small bump IN your throat? Your best bet is to see what your doctor says, they might make you get an ultrasound, and then they will take the next appropriate steps based off the findings. I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer late in 2008 at 21, just stay vigilant and be sure to tell your doctor about your concerns.

Q: If diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer. Then had a Thyroidectomy performed, what are the post symptoms?

A: You will become hypothyroid and are subject to all the symptoms of this condition such as; weight gain, constipation, dry skin, dry thinning hair, brain fog, depression, low body temp, muscle and joint aches, sleep apnea, headaches, fertility issues, and increased cholesterol.

The good news, once on the correct thyroid medication and at the right thyroid levels most of these symptoms will be gone.

I suggest you look through yahoo groups for a group on thyroid cancer. There somene can tell you about everything they went through post op.

Q: Do I have thyroid Cancer?
I am a 15 year old male, and today I noticed randomly my throat was hurting on the right side, towards the top when I swallow. It completely started out of no where.

I have no lump, and I work at a day care that requires me to talk and raise my voice a lot.

I am a bit of a hypochondriac, but idk, the symptoms just seem like symptoms of thyroid cancer.

It is hard for me to swallow a little, and it really hurts.

A: That does not sound like thyroid cancer at all. A lump, hoarseness, trouble swallowing and breathing are common thyroid cancer symptoms.

It sounds like you’ve strained your voice and have a sore throat… try a lozenge.

Q: Do i have thyroid cancer?
My aunt got thyroid cancer last year, and today we were talking about some problems i’ve been having and she said they could be thyroid symptoms
i’m hungry all the time (no i’m not pregnant lol, i’m only 15). there’s a lump on the right side of my neck, i’m always tired, even in the morning after a 9 hour sleep. i’m always in a pissy mood with my friends lately (but this could also be caused by the stress from my exams). and my periods are always irregular. and quite a large amount of people in my family have cancer.. my aunt (on my mom’s side) , my grandma (on my mom’s side) and my mom might also risk breast cancer , but it’s only a possibility.
anyway what do you think? and is thyroid cancer fatal?

A: It doesn’t sound like thyroid cancer at all…it sounds like a typical teen or possibly hypothyroidism. If your lump in your neck doesn’t subside, see a doctor to get it checked out. Also, all cancer has the ability to be fatal, but most of the time, thyroid cancer is not.

Q: Is thyroid cancer common?
Types of thyroid cancer and its symptoms?

A: It isn’t really that common. I had a huge lump on my thyroid gland and it turned out to be papillary cancer. This website is very helpful

http://www.endocrineweb.com/thyroidca.html

Q: Do you think I have Thyroid cancer???
OK well I usually get paranoid about stuff and I have trouble breathing. That is only one of the symptoms of thyroid cancer… i have none of the other symptoms. But this breathing thing has been happening for the past 8 months. And I have an extremely high level of anxiety. And when I get stressed about stuff i have trouble breathing but i also hav OCD so when I have trouble breathing my OCD holds on to that so it feels like 24/7 i am constantly having trouble breathing. I dont have any trouble eating or sleeping. I have extremely trouble breathing when i am really worried or anxious about something (it might not always be stuff that I know about or that is on my mind at that moment). and days when nothing is wrong and there isn’t a care in the world… I can almost breath perfectly fine. For example, when the summer first began i could breath almost perfectly fine. And when i went to that wicked awesome Hedley concert int August my breathing wasn’t bothering me that much. But the last 2 weeks of august they were horrible cause I was starting High School (im a 14 year old girl). I have seen a couple doctors about this. (2 physical ones and a shrink) the last physical doctor i saw which was about 5 months ago felt around my throat and listened to me breath and said i was fine and there was nothing physically wrong with me and the other physical one said that to. And would a doctor be able to detect if i had Thyroid cancer if she checked me 5 months ago and this problem started 8 moths ago. Well actually it started a year and a half ago. But I would have little attacks like it would last for a week. and that happened 3 times but this one has alsted much longer. DO you think this is thyroid cancer????

A: Thyroid cancer would be well down on my list of suspects.

Sounds like panic attacks, hyperventilation and anxiety.
If this is right, the more you worry about it being thyroid cancer the worse it will get!

thyroid cancer treatment

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about thyroid cancer treatment. For more, visit the Thyroid Disease website ThyroidDiseaseWiki.com.

Q: What is the treatment for thyroid cancer?
I have enlarged nodules and am wondering about treatment for thyroid cancer, if in fact I do have cancer. I have enlarged nodules on my left and right side.

A: You have a 95% chance of NOT having thyroid cancer. The treatment for thyroid cancer varies depending on the type and stage. The most common types of thyroid cancer (Papillary and Follicular) always have a surgical removal of the thyroid and (sometimes) follow up treatment of Radioactive Iodine (I-131) to destroy any remaining thyroid tissue. Levothyroxine is needed for life since a total thyroidectomy results in one not being able to produce thyroid stimulating hormone. Try not to worry, good luck with everything! http://thyca.org

Q: Why would you face go numb after the radioactive treatment for thyroid cancer?
My girlfriend just did the radioactive iodine treatment for her thyroid cancer and now about 5 days later her left side of her face has gone numb. She called her doctor and mad an appointment but that isnt for 2 days. What is going on and what can she do to make her face not be numb until she goes to the doctors because she is really freaking out.

A: I don’t know if its the treatment or coincidence, but there’s a nerve that runs through the opening in your jaw. If that swells for whatever reason, your face on that side will go numb. It’s called Bell’s Palsy. I had it years ago from a drafty window when I lived up north. I was on prednisone, which took the swelling away.

Q: Which is the place to get treatment for papillary thyroid cancer in India?
Hello,

I am male, 30 years old. Which is the place to get treatment for papillary thyroid cancer in India and How much it cost?

Kindly Reply,
Cancer Fighter.

A: I don’t have an answer, but I do have a site with more info and maybe they can help. www.thyca.org (thyroid cancer survivors for america)

Q: How much does thyroid cancer treatment cost?

A: I racked up over $120,000 in bills in 4 months. I had multiple ultrasounds, an ultrasound guided Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) Biopsy, those cost close to $3,000. My surgery was more extensive than first planned, so it ended up costing more than $75,000. I had radioactive iodine (I-131) for my follow up treatment, two sets of scans, multiple ultrasounds, CT scans, countless blood tests/ tumor markers…the list goes on! It’s been 20 months since my first diagnosis, and I think my current tab is $150,000 and counting.

Q: Where are the top sites in the US for thyroid cancer evaluation and treatment?
Female, 62 years, on Synthroid for 20+ years after thyroid stopped functioning. Recent ultrasound shows two solid nodules (under 2 cm, one in each lobe) and a 3rd nodule “in the upper pole.” Thyroglobulin blood test abnormal. Hoarse voice. Had thyroid scan today. Internist felt growth 3 wks ago which prompted ultrasound. Internist suggests biopsies next at area diagnostic center. Earliest date available Oct. 10. Is this good advice or should I seek endocrinologist exam now? Am a 6 year uterine cancer survivor at an excellent, regional cancer center, which does very little with thyroid cancer. What are the top centers for thyroid cancer? What would you recommend doing in my situation?

A: I had tumors on my thyroid and had it removed when I was seven years old. I would definitely talk to an endocrinologist, if I were you. No matter whether the advice you were given was good or not, the endocrinologist will know what is best for you. Baylor in Dallas is an excellent hospital. They’ve done all of my thyroid related surgeries.

Q: Best Hospital and Doctor to get treatment for papillary thyroid cancer in Seattle Area?
Hello,

I am 30 years old male diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. I am living in Bellevue. Could you please share info on best hospitals and Doctors to get treatment in Seattle Area?

Thanks,
Cancer Fighter

A: go to www.thyca.org and thyca@yahoogroups.com (the second one is a question answer forum for thryoid cancer folks) and post there.

Q: Radioactive Iodine Treatment for Thyroid Cancer? Questions to ask?
I have a friend who has Thyroid cancer and has had the tumor and her thyroid removed. Tomorrow she is going for her consultation for the radioactive iodine treatment, and she wants to go in to the appointment with a list of questions that she should ask. Anyone have any suggestions?

A: I assume you are refering to the ablative treatment (destroy any remaining thyroid/turmor tissue). She will get a lot of information on dealing with the 3 to 5 days after treatment where she will need to avoid contact with other people. the person who is assisting in her care should also attend. Good questions to ask are about dealing with possible side affects (e.g. painful saliva glands) and other possible side affects. She is probably feeling lousy right now having been off the tyroid medicane for several weeks. So questions about when she can again start the thyroid meds again.

Q: What is the resent development in the treatment of thyroid cancer which affect bone for more than 6 years?
My wife is seriously sick with thyroid cancer which affected her left leg bone

A: There is one that I have heard. It makes little sense that it would have to be in the bones for 6 years.

Q: Need recommendations for Holistic Vets in Sydney – Thyroid Cancer treatment?
Hi everyone

My staffy x Charlie has just been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, he has just had his radiation treatment yesterday. I am trying to find an experienced, highly recommended Holistic Vet within Sydney that I can see about his diet, herbal supplements etc

Has anyone used a Holistic Vet for the treatment of their pets cancer? If so was it successful? And secondly can anyone recommend a good, geniune, experienced holistic vet that I can take my little man to?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

A: I am in the US, so I can’t help you with finding a Holistic Vet in Sydney. But I used to Tech for a well respected Veterinary Internist. We had several clients that went to a Holistic Vet in another state. They drove a long way to see this vet. Then we would do the follow up care. One case we had was a dog with a rectal tumor. The dog lived for a couple of years, BUT the owner had the tumor reduced surgically several times. It was an aggressive cancer, and ultimately killed the dog, but the dog lived a couple of years more than it would have.
We also had another dog that had a brain tumor. The owner went to the same vet. The dog lived about 9-12 months with the brain tumor.
I don’t know if I have answered your question, but I wish you luck with your dog.

Q: What is the cost of radioactive iodine treatment for thyroid cancer?

A: They usually use radioactive iodine isotopes as tracers, Go to Google and type in Association of Oncology social work.
I believe you are speaking of Lymphoma.
There is some help I believe, you just have to look for it.

Q: What are the effect after treatment of thyroid cancer?

A: You become hypothyroid and go on thyroid medication.

Q: Have you put off treatment to get pregnant when experiencing recurrent papillary thyroid cancer in lymph nodes
I’m looking for new treatments other than RAI or surgery. I have been waiting a few years between fertility issues and cancer treatments to get pregnant 36 and the clock is ticking

A: Yes I put off the RAI to get pregnant with my first child. I had papillary thyroid cancer but it had not spread to my lymph nodes. It was encapsulated in my thyroid gland. I had the surgery, total thyroidectomy. I kept my TSH suppressed to 0.1 and got pregnant about 3 months after trying. I was 28 at the time. After my first child was born, I had RAI when he was 7 months. We waited 1 year to try for baby #2 and got pregnant on our first try with baby #2.

Both kids were born full term, totally healthy. I get their thyroids tested every year because I’m paranoid that my thyroid problems passed to my kids. But their thyroid tests come back normal.

So you can put off RAI to have kids or have RAI and then have kids. But once you have RAI, you have to wait 6 months to 1 year to try to conceive.

Just my opinion…since you’re 36…Keep your TSH suppressed and if your thyroglobulin levels are little to nothing…postpone RAI and have a baby first.

Good luck.

regards,
mari

Q: anyone been through treatment for papilliary thyroid cancer?
I am 30 and was diagnosed last year. I have three young children and a wonderful fiance, but none of them understand how i feel preparing to come off meds for tests at the minute and i’m absolutely dreading it. I live in the uk btw
Anyone been in same boat?

A: I had pap cancer a few years ago. I am 44 years old. I had a total thyroidectomy, because I felt it would be safer and maybe prevent further surgeries. I had 2 rounds of radioactive iodine (a small one that I stayed at home with and a second one with a hospital stay). Being off meds was the worst. I felt like a slug. This past year, my doctor told me there was a new Thyroglobulin test that didn’t require me to get off my meds. He said it was through MD Anderson in Houston, Texas and that it was ultra-sensitive. I was thrilled not to have to go through all that again. I’ll be praying for you.

Q: Is 8 years of thyroid cancer diagnosis then treatment harmful?

A: If someone waited 8 yrs to get treatment after being diagnosed with cancer, it may have spread to other areas and may be terminal. It could end up in the lymph nodes, lungs and bones. By the time 8 years is up, treatment may be a waste of time.

Q: I have been diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Cancer. What are dangers of radioactive iodine dye treatment?
I am also going to have my entire thyroid removed before the iodine dye treatment is done. The iodine dye treatment is being done through an IV in my wrist. I will be completely off my synthroid.

A: I had papillary cancer also. Never had the radioactive iodine treatment, backed out of it because of fertility concerns. Which the doctor than consulted someone at Columbia University and found out I was right. It is temporary though. Other concerns are damage to your salivary glands, usually temporary but may be permanent. Sucking candies are recommended. Also there is a small chance of developing a secondary cancer even though the radiation is targeted at remaining thyroid cells.

It has been 5 years, and I have a new doctor who wants me to see a specialist to see if radioactive iodine treatment is needed. Also there is a drug you can take so you do not need to go off synthroid. Not all places use it.

My initial doctor never thought I needed radioactive iodine treatment, but every endocrinologist I see does.

papillary thyroid cancer

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about papillary thyroid cancer. For more, visit the Thyroid Disease website ThyroidDiseaseWiki.com.

Q: what are the next steps in papillary thyroid cancer reoccurance?
i had papillary thyroid cancer 2 years ago. it was removed with a total thyroidectomy. i had radioactive iodine treatment after surgery and i’ve been tested here and there since. i just had a routine ultrasound where they found a suspicious lymph node. i’m scheduled for a FNA (fine needle) my question is, if the results come back positive for a reoccurance, what will ne my next step? more surgery? more RAI? chemo?

A: When I had a recurrence in my lymph nodes I did a low dose RAI followed by a body scan to see where it traveled to and since it was only in 4 of my lymph nodes they removed 11 and then I went off my meds for awhile did another small dose body scan followed by a high dose RAI and body scan but im sure every doctor does things different but that was my experience with it and now I am cancer free again.
I dont think chemo is the treatment of choice because the iodine is move effective on the thyroid and its safer i believe

Q: Which is the place to get treatment for papillary thyroid cancer in India?
Hello,

I am male, 30 years old. Which is the place to get treatment for papillary thyroid cancer in India and How much it cost?

Kindly Reply,
Cancer Fighter.

A: I don’t have an answer, but I do have a site with more info and maybe they can help. www.thyca.org (thyroid cancer survivors for america)

Q: I had papillary thyroid cancer, how long will I live?
I read it on the internet that the prognosis for a person over 50 years old that had papillary thyroid cancer the size of a golf ball (which I had) could only live for 10 years or less. I would really like to know because I want to get my house in order. I am not afraid. So would somebody please tell me.

A: Madam , 1st of all life and death is in the hands of god ,,, so no one can tell you ever how long will you live ,,, but what i can tell you is some statistical facts based on patients diagnosed with Papillary carcinoma of the Thyroid gland ,,

before this i want to bring you some good news i hope:

the treatment for this type of cancer is surgical resection and it is curative in most of the cases
even if the caner cells metastasized (usually to the cervical lymph nodes) they are very responsive for Radiotherapy with Iodine 131…

now the prognosis is EXCELLENT , 20 years survival = 90%
which means , after the time of diagnosis with 20 years you will find patients with this type of cancer are still alive and if they died it is probably due to another cause rather than the actual cancer ,,
so you are lucky to get this type of cancer , because other types like the anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid is very aggressive and rapidly fatal

Q: Best Hospital and Doctor to get treatment for papillary thyroid cancer in Seattle Area?
Hello,

I am 30 years old male diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. I am living in Bellevue. Could you please share info on best hospitals and Doctors to get treatment in Seattle Area?

Thanks,
Cancer Fighter

A: go to www.thyca.org and thyca@yahoogroups.com (the second one is a question answer forum for thryoid cancer folks) and post there.

Q: papillary thyroid cancer spread to lymph nodes question?
my girlfriend has just gotten diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer which has spread to her lymph nodes, has anyone gone through this experience or know of any one that has that can shed some light for me. she is in her mid 30’s. Please anyone that can enlighten me with their experience, i am very worried and terrified.

A: I was diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma with lymph node spread when I was 26 and what they did for me was remove my thyroid and the lymph nodes that were effected and a few more just to make sure and then 6 months after surgery I did a round of radiation with is just a iodine pill that you take and a full body scan to make sure there was no uptake but in my case there was so they gave me a higher dose and now I do the RAI body scan every 6 months a so far all is perfect. From everything that my doctors told me and I went to Mayo Hospital is that if you had to choose a cancer to have just because you would want thyroid cancer because it is very slow growing with close to 100% cure rate even with lymph node spread and recurrence hope I was able to help

Q: Can one form of cancer (specifically papillary thyroid cancer) lead to another cancer?
I have had papillary thyroid cancer and got it removed in July 2005. I was wondering if this makes me more prone to other cancers, such as skin cancer. Ever since my surgury, I’ve been so suspicious of cancer popping up in other place, and I just wanted to know what I should look out for. Thanks.

A: Cancer is a whole body thing – not just one type of cancer in one place. The problem with the current system of medicine is that it treats symptoms only, and never considers the cause. If you have cancer, your whole body has it, although it may show in only one place.
The solution is to go for a holistic cure, of which about 100 are available,
They are not publicised by the cancer industry, because there is no money to be made. For the same reason, they are not approved by the FDA, so even if doctors do know about them, they are not allowed to recommend them.

For a detailed report on this subject, and some holistic cures, see

http://dgwa1.fortunecity.com/body/cancer.html

My initial doctor never thought I needed radioactive iodine treatment, but every endocrinologist I see does.

Q: I was diagnosed w/papillary thyroid cancer. What was your experience with meds/surgery?
I am meeting a surgeon on Monday to schedule my thyroidectomy. I am 41, healthy, normal functioning thyroid otherwise. I am concerned about weight, meds, moods, the actual surgery……what has been your experience? I am an avid exerciser and 130 lbs.

A: This one is a long answer.

I was diagnosed at age 26 with papillary thyroid cancer, not really an exerciser, big lover of junk food, but I was about a size 8 (5′4″, 130 pounds) at that time.

I postponed RAI (radioactive iodine) because I wanted to have children.

After the surgery, I didn’t really gain much weight. Some people gain up to 10 pounds that can be blamed on thyroid. Anything more than 10 pounds is probably unrelated to thyroid (lack of exercise, pregnancy weight, etc.).

Your TSH will need to be suppressed for the rest of your life except for when you go through RAI treatment. You’ll need to take a suppressive dose of levothyroxine (T4) like synthroid. Normal TSH is about 1.0-2.0. Yours will need to be around 0.1. This is technically, chemically, hyPERthyroidism. You may feel jittery, panic, hot flashes, heart palpitations, irritable, lose weight, etc. If you feel these symptoms, you may need to slightly lower your dose of meds enough to stop those “hyperthyroidism” symptoms, but still keep your TSH as low as possible.

Mood? Well…being told you have cancer, no matter how “treatable” it is, is life changing and can be very depressing. There have been days that I’ve just sat down in the middle of my living room and just cried my head off. But it’s been almost 6 years now for me…so those days don’t really happen anymore. Instead of thinking “why me” I just try to think “it could have been worse.”

This kind of goes back to what I said before about the hyperthyroidism symptoms. I was feeling depressed and jumpy all at the same time…like panic. My endocrinologist said that I need to “get over it.” My primary care doctor diagnosed me with depression and I took anti-depressants for awhile. The anti-depressants helped a little. I switched endocrinologists and the new one lowered my dosage and I stopped the anti-depressants. Now I feel great!! Turns out it wasn’t really depression…just way too much thyroid hormone.

I have 2 totally healthy kids now. One born after the surgery and the other born after surgery and RAI. Oh…I am still 5′4″ but I weigh about 145 pounds now (baby weight…not thyroid) and I wear a size 10.

The surgery went well. The doctor will cut the nerves in your neck which will numb the area for several months, until the nerves regrow. To this day, I have never felt pain from the surgery. I spent 2 nights in the hospital because my parathyroids went into shock causing my calcium levels to drop. I just had to take a calcium pill and some vitamin d for 1 month. I had sore shoulder muscles though because psychologically, I felt like my neck was cut from end to end even though the incision was only 2 inches. I walked around hunched over for a few weeks. My parents kept reminding me to stand up straight.

As far as recovery…I made Thanksgiving dinner exactly 1 week after surgery. I just had to prove to myself and everyone around me that I could do it and I could beat cancer!

Good luck to you…Check out the website link below for lots of useful info about thyroid cancer.

Regards,
mari

Q: Thyroid Removal & Neck Dissection due to Papillary thyroid Cancer?
Earlier this year I had a swollen lymph node in my neck removed and tested. They determinded that I have papillary thyroid cancer which had spread to my lymph nodes in my neck.

They are suggesting that I have my entire thyroid gland removed along with a neck dissection to remove all the lymph nodes on the left side of my neck. After the surgery I am to do a short amount of iodine treatment and then will be on thyroid medication the rest of my life.

Has anyone had this (or similar) situation? If so, what was your outcome after the sugery? Has being on thyroid medication changed the way you feel?

Thanks in advance for any responses!

-Joe

A: I had my thyroid removed a year ago. It hadn’t spread to the lymph nodes but from what I understand that doesn’t cause any additional problems. The surgery itself was not bad. I was in the hospital for 2 days afterwards. My throat was very sore (like you have a giant lump in your throat), but other than that I felt ok. I took some tylenol but never needed prescription pain medications.

I also had the radioactive iodine treatment 9 months later (I was pregnant so needed to wait until after the baby was born). The only side effect from that was I was tired, but that was probably more for not being on the thyroid hormones. Honestly the low iodine diet before the treatment and isolation from people for a few days after is the worst part – but in the grand scheme of things it’s hard to complain about that.

I now take 125mg of Levoxyl every day, which puts me in the hyperthyroid level. They do that to prevent any lingering thyroid cells from getting back to work. Luckily I don’t have any side effects from the medication. Many people do though so I wouldn’t be surprised if you have some. For example if your levels are too low you may feel tired, and if too high you can have heart palpitations.

I see the doctor every few months to check my levels. I’ll have another test dose of the RAI in a few months (a year from my last one). Hopefully they won’t find anything, but if they do I’ll have another full dose of the RAI.

Cancer is a very scary thing, but so far things have gone well for me. I hope you have the same outcome.

Q: if lymph nodes are involved on a papillary thyroid cancer, can it be spread to stomach?
can it be spread to the lungs?

A: It is rare for papillary to spread all the way down to the stomach. If it has gone untreated for many, many years (20+) then it may be possible. It can spread to the lungs, but it is not that common. A positive thing about pap thyca is that radioactive iodine is usually an effective treatment…I say usually because I had 2 large doses that didn’t do anything to mine, mine was best treated surgically.

Papillary thyroid cancer is very slow growing, one can have it for several years with little change in prognosis. And it is rarely fatal. I have a friend who had thyroid cancer with lung mets, 2 RAI treatments took care of it.

Some useful sites for you:
www.thyca.org
www.thyroid.org
www.endocrineweb.com
www.livestrong.org

Best of luck to you.

Q: need to know about papillary thyroid cancer ?
ok so someone i know just turned 17 and has gotten a blood test back. she has been diagnosed with possible papillary thyroid cancer . she may have had it for about 8 months. how treatable is it, and will she be able to live a normal life afterwards? will she be sick and die in 10 years? need to know asap thanks

A: Thyroid cancer is diagnosed through a biopsy so I wouldn’t stress about blood work so much and also if they did have a biopsy and it rules out to be pap. thyroid cancer it is a very slow growing cancer so the chance of it spreading beyond the thyroid is small. What they will do for treatment is remove the thyroid and they may do a follow up radioactive iodine depending on whether there a antibodies present in the blood and after all is done they will be placed on thyroid replacement meds for life. I have pap. thyroid cancer completed all the treatments had 1 recurrence and now am cancer free. Everyones body responds different but thyroid cancer has a high cure rate almost 100% even with recurrence. Hope that helps and best of luck.

Q: I had papillary thyroid cancer, total thyroidectomy, does anyone know whether there are long term consequences?
I had my surgery on Aug. 1 of this year and take Synthroid. My levels are normal but what I want to know is will I have long term effects as a result of not having my thyroid? It controls so many things in my body…how can ONE pill do the job as my thyroid?? I am 41 yr old female.

A: You ask a very good question. The thyroid basically produces thyroid hormone and calcitonin a moderator of calcium. Suprisingly ever since we learned about Cretinism and parathyroid glands, we have learned that hormone replacement will not only prevent hypothyroidism but will also prevent TSH production which is important, so as not to stimulate any ectopic or residual thyroid tissue. Papillary carcinoma is the most favorable of thyroid cancers, but there is still plenty of surgeons who would not do a total thyroidectomy for small isolated papillary cancer, so as to avoid deficiency problems. Replacement would still be required to suppress TSH.

Q: Can anyone explain papillary thyroid cancer in layman’s terms? What is the prognosis for a 14 year old female?

A: Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common form of cancer of the thyroid gland, which is a major gland in the front part of everyone’s neck.

It is almost always treated surgically and is almost always cured. It can spread locally, but rarely spreads widely.

Both kids were born full term, totally healthy. I get their thyroids tested every year because I’m paranoid that my thyroid problems passed to my kids. But their thyroid tests come back normal.

So you can put off RAI to have kids or have RAI and then have kids. But once you have RAI, you have to wait 6 months to 1 year to try to conceive.

Just my opinion…since you’re 36…Keep your TSH suppressed and if your thyroglobulin levels are little to nothing…postpone RAI and have a baby first.

Good luck.

regards,
mari

Q: I just got diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Cancer yesterday. Help?
Im 19 and Im going to get my entire thyroid removed in the beginning of August and possibly my lymph nodes. Have to take a semester or so off school..
Anyone else that has had this please give me your story and opinions.

A: http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/endocrine-system-cancer?ivNPA=1&sky=ggl|hco|ca|thyroidcancers|PPC4070|c

try this site

thyroid cancer papillary

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about thyroid cancer papillary. For more, visit the Thyroid Disease website ThyroidDiseaseWiki.com.

Q: Which is the place to get treatment for papillary thyroid cancer in India?
Hello,

I am male, 30 years old. Which is the place to get treatment for papillary thyroid cancer in India and How much it cost?

Kindly Reply,
Cancer Fighter.

A: I don’t have an answer, but I do have a site with more info and maybe they can help. www.thyca.org (thyroid cancer survivors for america)

For a detailed report on this subject, and some holistic cures, see

http://dgwa1.fortunecity.com/body/cancer.html

before this i want to bring you some good news i hope:

Q: Best Hospital and Doctor to get treatment for papillary thyroid cancer in Seattle Area?
Hello,

I am 30 years old male diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. I am living in Bellevue. Could you please share info on best hospitals and Doctors to get treatment in Seattle Area?

Thanks,
Cancer Fighter

A: go to www.thyca.org and thyca@yahoogroups.com (the second one is a question answer forum for thryoid cancer folks) and post there.

My initial doctor never thought I needed radioactive iodine treatment, but every endocrinologist I see does.

A: This one is a long answer.

I was diagnosed at age 26 with papillary thyroid cancer, not really an exerciser, big lover of junk food, but I was about a size 8 (5′4″, 130 pounds) at that time.

I postponed RAI (radioactive iodine) because I wanted to have children.

As far as recovery…I made Thanksgiving dinner exactly 1 week after surgery. I just had to prove to myself and everyone around me that I could do it and I could beat cancer!

Good luck to you…Check out the website link below for lots of useful info about thyroid cancer.

Regards,
mari

Has anyone had this (or similar) situation? If so, what was your outcome after the sugery? Has being on thyroid medication changed the way you feel?

Thanks in advance for any responses!

-Joe

Cancer is a very scary thing, but so far things have gone well for me. I hope you have the same outcome.

Q: if lymph nodes are involved on a papillary thyroid cancer, can it be spread to stomach?
can it be spread to the lungs?

Some useful sites for you:
www.thyca.org
www.thyroid.org
www.endocrineweb.com
www.livestrong.org

Best of luck to you.

Q: Can anyone explain papillary thyroid cancer in layman’s terms? What is the prognosis for a 14 year old female?

A: Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common form of cancer of the thyroid gland, which is a major gland in the front part of everyone’s neck.

It is almost always treated surgically and is almost always cured. It can spread locally, but rarely spreads widely.

Q: What is a thyroid cancer or Papillary Carcinoma with microfollicular pattern?
I was diagnose with Papillary Carcinoma, on my smaller nodule and Nodular Hyperplasia, larger nodule what does that mean?

A: Hi I am 30 and have had papillary thyroid cancer since 2002. Sounds like you have papillary with follicular variant. There is a free site you can join and ask the members questions about their tests I have a link on the hyperplasia that you might be interested in it is
http://www.uscap.org/newindex.htm?93rd/shorth41-1.htm
and the group I am talking about is listed below in the sources list

Both kids were born full term, totally healthy. I get their thyroids tested every year because I’m paranoid that my thyroid problems passed to my kids. But their thyroid tests come back normal.

So you can put off RAI to have kids or have RAI and then have kids. But once you have RAI, you have to wait 6 months to 1 year to try to conceive.

Just my opinion…since you’re 36…Keep your TSH suppressed and if your thyroglobulin levels are little to nothing…postpone RAI and have a baby first.

Good luck.

regards,
mari

symptoms of thyroid cancer

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about symptoms of thyroid cancer. For more, visit the Thyroid Disease website ThyroidDiseaseWiki.com.

Q: What are some symptoms of Thyroid Cancer?

A: Thyroid Cancer Symptoms
Thyroid cancer is a disease that affects the thyroid. The thyroid is a gland located in the front part of the neck.

What Is Thyroid Cancer?

Follicular cancer. This type of cancer also develops in thyroid cells that produce iodine-containing hormones. About 10 to 30 percent of thyroid cancers are follicular cancers.

What is the Thyroid Gland?

What Causes Thyroid Cancer?

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Thyroid Cancer?

Can Thyroid Cancer be Prevented?

Unfortunately, since most people with thyroid cancer have no known risk factors, it is very difficult to prevent most cases of this disease.

Can Thyroid Cancer be treated?

Effects of Treatment

Statistics

Other thyroid cancer symptoms include:

difficulty swallowing

cough that is not caused by a cold and is persistent

hoarseness not from a cold

enlarged neck node

Q: symptoms of thyroid cancer…?
what are the symptoms….
NO I’M NOT PARANOID…JUST RULING THINGS OUT…I THOUGHT THIS IS A PLACE FOR QUESTIONS,……..NOT RUDE PEOPLE.

A: had it, did it, done. swelling, tiredness, no hair growth, see your doctor for lab tests to confirm.

A: 25 years ago I had thyroid cancer and lost the entire thyroid
along with all parathyroids and the major neck muscle on left
side. I had chemo,radiation an three more surgeries.

last week I had surgery .after cat scan my doctor found one
large tumour under the jawline…very embedded with scar tissue
and several small tumors located in the left side of my neck.

I am waiting for results…

I would definetly suggest a cat scan if you are having troubles,
it will detect tumours that can not be found during a manual hands on exam.

I hope this might be a bit of help to you
if not message me with any specific questions you have.

regards……and best of luck to you.

Q: Do I have thyroid Cancer?
I am a 15 year old male, and today I noticed randomly my throat was hurting on the right side, towards the top when I swallow. It completely started out of no where.

I have no lump, and I work at a day care that requires me to talk and raise my voice a lot.

I am a bit of a hypochondriac, but idk, the symptoms just seem like symptoms of thyroid cancer.

It is hard for me to swallow a little, and it really hurts.

A: That does not sound like thyroid cancer at all. A lump, hoarseness, trouble swallowing and breathing are common thyroid cancer symptoms.

It sounds like you’ve strained your voice and have a sore throat… try a lozenge.

A: Thyroid cancer would be well down on my list of suspects.

Sounds like panic attacks, hyperventilation and anxiety.
If this is right, the more you worry about it being thyroid cancer the worse it will get!

Q: Is thyroid cancer common?
Types of thyroid cancer and its symptoms?

A: It isn’t really that common. I had a huge lump on my thyroid gland and it turned out to be papillary cancer. This website is very helpful

http://www.endocrineweb.com/thyroidca.html

Q: is thyroid cancer contagious?
is thyroid symptoms can be transmitted by way of kissing?

A: No

Q: What are the symptoms of ovairian cancer? I am pretty worried about my 19 year old daughter.?
She went her first time to the obgyn the other day because she has irregular periods and now the doctors sent her for blood work she said for thyroid and she is also sending her for a sonogram. She has been feeling bloated she said and sometimes her back hurts. I am really worried anyone know if this could be symptoms?

A: Ovarian cancer is not known to show symptoms, noted for being silent, so it is unlikely your daughter has anything like that. It is too early to diagnose something like that. She is having her scans which is the perfect way to detect any abnormality and will have to see if they show anything or not. Don’t worry her with all the possibilities. She may simply be suffering from uncomfortable periods and a change of diet at that time may relieve some of the symptoms she is experiencing.

Q: Advice on what to expect for thyroid needle biopsy? PETRIFIED! Labs normal but thyroid symptoms. Tired, ETC.?
I have had thyroid symptoms for a long time, with always normal labs. Doesn’t make sense. Past couple years ultrasound every 6 mos. for thyroid swelling. Multi nodular goiter. Last week u/s showed one nodule getting larger. Have to have fine needle biopsy. I am so scared, right here at Christmas to have to go through this. Have feeling of choking, tightness in throat, lots of congestion in throat, hoarseness at times, fatigue, nervousness, palpitations etc. NORMAL LABS..Anyone have any suggestions? Mother had thyroid removed 80 yrs ago lots of thyroid disease in family. No thyroid cancer, though. I’m scared anyone have this problem????I do have cervical disc ruptures that I’m suppose to have surgery for, could that be causing any of my symptoms???Thanks so much for anyone who can help!!!

A: Hi. Boy, do i know how you feel. I am going through the exact same thing right now. My thyroid is huge, and the doctor said that she can feel nodules on it. I also have the choking, tightness, and hoarse voice. They want me to go for an ultrasound and biopsy, but i’ve put it off for 2 months now because i just can’t deal with it. I’ve become extremely depressed and scared because i think i have cancer. The worse part is that i have no insurance to help cover the cost of all the tests i need ( which is just making the stress worse ). I can tell you that since thyroid problems run in your family, it puts you at a greater risk. Sorry, i can’t be of more help. Just wanted you to know that you’re not alone. It’s a scary thing to go through, but i’m sure you’ll do fine. Best of luck, feel better soon. <<>>

Q: which tests should you ask for to rule out cancer/disease of thyroid & neck lymphnodes/glands?
I’m in England, and under the care of the NHS, and have been made to suffer now for over 1 year with apparent symptoms of possible thyroid disease or even thyroid cancer ~ the doctors seem to only do something if i force the issue and demand something specifically.. i’ve trusted them and put myself under their care for a year and they’ve left me suffering in constant intense neck pain for all this time w/o doing barely anything … unless i’ve researched it myself and demanded it.

So, now im terrified and in pain and desperate for some positive action …
Which tests do i need to totally confirm or rule out thyroid/neck cancer and/or thyroid/neck diseases please?

(all i’ve had so far are blood tests, endoscopy & emergency chest x-ray…. i’m waiting for a referral appointment for a neck or thyroid scan which i demanded last night at my doctors, but i dont know what type of scan he’s referred me for.. an ultrasound, or just the thyroid.. i need to call 1st thing monday morning to find out… and would like to give them a list of other tests i need at the same time)..

Any genuine/knowledgable suggestions much appreciated (please remember im a person who’d very poorly and scared. so please no crank posts, thanks.) xxxxxxxxxxxxx

A: What causes neck pain?
Many things can trigger neck pain. These include:
* trauma or injury
* worry and stress
* falling asleep in an awkward position
* prolonged use of a computer keyboard.
There are several theories about why so many people suffer neck pain, but they are not supported by scientific proof. For most people, no specific reason for the pain can be found.

From the lowest link…
Imaging tests Chest x-ray Ultrasound Computed tomography CT scans MRI scans Nuclear medicine scans Radioiodine scan:

Test for thyroid cancer
Ultrasound scan
An ultrasound scan uses sound waves to build up a picture of the inside of your body. This test can be used to look at your thyroid and neck. Your doctor is looking to see whether there are lots of lumps or just one. And whether the lumps are solid or filled with fluid (cysts). Of these, a single solid lump is most likely to be cancer. An ultrasound may be used to help find the thyroid lump during a needle biopsy (see below). There is more about having an ultrasound in the cancer tests section of .
Needle biopsy
A needle biopsy is used to take a small amount of thyroid tissue, which can be looked at under a microscope. This is the only way to be sure if a lump is cancer or not.

Q: Abnormal thyroid Ultrasound -doctor left message/can not call till monday-freaking!?
I had an upper respiratory infection and then a sinus infection. Then I found a lump in my neck on side 2 inches above collarbone. Doctor gave me antibiotics and lump got very small since then, maybe 1/4 of a centimeter now. Then I had a lump in throat when swallowing. I had blood work all normal, thryoid blood work all normal, but then I had an ultrasound on thryoid. Doctor left message saying to call the office on monday. Every other message before they left on my voice mail said test results were normal. So, now I positive my ultrasound was abnormal from this message they left to call them. I am so freaking out and scared I have thryoid cancer. I am afraid of the nuclear medicine iodine test because that is radiation & can’t that cause cancer. Symptoms I have had are hot flashes, heart palpitations, but maybe that is anxiety. I am 36 with two small kids. Could the upper respiratory infection I had cause an enlarged thryoid?Can an ultrasound tell if a lump is cancer thyroid?
Thanks everyone. But I read that with the subacute thyroid thing that my thyroid bloodwork would be elevated and they were normal?

A: It sounds like a goitre I had the same thing and had my thyroid removed and am a lot better now. It is not very often a thyroid is cancerous

Q: what is medullary thyroid cancer ?
I need to know what this is and the symptoms and treatments of this cancer ??

A: Medullary thyroid cancer deals with the parafollicular or C cells, and they make Calcitonin. Usually, only distant metastatic medullary thyroid cancer has physical symptoms of flushing or diarrhea. More commonly, blood tests showing an elevated calcitonin and CEA levels and Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsies help in identifying this cancer. People with MEN 2A, MEN 2B or familial medullary thyroid cancer are at higher risk for the disease.

A total thyroidectomy with lymph node removal is usually performed to combat the cancer. Follow up treatment can include external beam radiation and/or chemotherapy.

Contrary to the other info, Medullary does not have the poorest outcome of all the 4 types thyroid cancers, Anaplastic does.

medullary thyroid cancer

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about medullary thyroid cancer. For more, visit the Thyroid Disease website ThyroidDiseaseWiki.com.

Q: What is a successful treatment for thyroid medullary cancer?

A: Talk to a doctor, try Yahoo Health and webmd.

Q: medullary thyroid cancer?
My mother in law 76 years old is diagnosed in Dec 09 for medullary thyroid cancer.What are the sufferings in performing the operation and subsequent therapies.AND what will be the sufferings if no operation is performed and left as it is.Considering the age what will be your advice?

A: Dear Sateesh.
Medullary cancer thyroid is a rare thyroid cancer (just 4% of all thyroid cancer), arising from C cells (Parafollicular cells). It is a agressive cancer and only curative treatment for this condition is Suregry (Total thyroidectomy with central node dissection). It is not very responsive to Radiotherapy (Partial response) or Chemotherapy. Radiotherapy and chemothrapy can be used as adjuvant (after surgery) to improve response. Dont delay this, I think surgery is the best option for her. If this tumour is still confined to thyroid then chances of cure is good. Risk of surgery shouln’t be high if there is no other medical comorbidity (I mean No diabetes, hypertension, respiratory problem etc.)
This tumour is herediatory also in 10-20% of cases (MEN 2a & 2b). So all family member should get a tumour marker test done (Calcitonin- done by a blood test and not very expensive). As your name suggests you must be from India. This test can be done in all big cities of India.
Last important point: This a genuine medical advise (though free of cost), so dont take it lightly. You are asking this question in wong forum. All those who answer, very few among them are expert or know about this condition. Most of them here do google search and try to beome expert and answer a very seriuos issue or question.
Best wishes
Dr Tewari (India)

Q: what is medullary thyroid cancer ?
I need to know what this is and the symptoms and treatments of this cancer ??

A total thyroidectomy with lymph node removal is usually performed to combat the cancer. Follow up treatment can include external beam radiation and/or chemotherapy.

Contrary to the other info, Medullary does not have the poorest outcome of all the 4 types thyroid cancers, Anaplastic does.

Q: What is the cure for metastatic Medullary Cancer of the thyroid?
The fact is that there is currently no known cure for metastatic Medullary Cancer. It is controlled by surgical removal (where possible) of the malignant tumors.

A: Thyroidectomy
Radiation

Q: 81yo female with newly diagnosed thyroid medullary cancer. Should I opt for surgery or radiotherapy?

A: No one here has enough information to answer that question. It would depend on whether the cancer has spread, how healthy the patient is otherwise, the patient’s wishes, and many other things that her doctor would know much better than any of us. The sources below seem to favor surgery in general, but of course they can’t say what is best for this individual patient. This would be a good time for doctor and patient (and family) to sit down and talk about all the options. I hope it all works out.

Q: Thyroid causing pressure on trachea?? Feels like something in airway, causes cough?
I have a strange problem. I am a nurse and am lost when it comes to my own symptoms.

I had medullary thyroid cancer 23 yrs ago and had half of my thyroid removed. I had it checked regularly for several yrs but not in last 10.

Since last Nov I have had a cough that nothing helps. I have seen Dr about 5 times – taken 3 different antibiotics, tried Albuterol inhaler, 3 different cough meds, Prevacid (in case it is reflux), and allergy meds – all with no relief. In past week it has gotten worse and feels like something is in my trachea blocking some airflow in my airway.

It got worse this weekend and I went to the local ER. I had coughed so musch that I thought I had either broken a rib or created a spontaneous pneumothorax. CXR and soft tissue of neck were both negative, along with an EKG, so they sent me home with diagnosis of pleuritic CP and Relafen.

I just want to find someone with info that I can look up. Please reply!!!!

A: Since you are a nurse and are familiar with anatomy, I think your sense that something is in your trachea should be taken very seriously. You might try seeing a different doctor. Both pulmonologists and ENT doctors are skilled at looking in the trachea to see if there is anything going on there. Keep pursuing this.

I hope it is nothing serious, and I hope you feel better soon.

Q: If a person inherits genetic cancer are they both human and the virus?
I have an illness called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia 2A. This was discovered after I developed medullary thyroid cancer. My endocrinologist suspected that I had this illness which can be a part of the MEN2A. From what I understand, it is an inherited illness unless it is somehow spontaneous. It is believed that I inherited it from my father, but he is dead and has no remaining family other than my mother and I. My question is if I inherited this illness that makes a cancer, am I both human and the virus itself. I inherited what makes the virus just the same as I inherited what makes me human. I asked the researcher and he said no one is exactly sure how this works. I am hoping there might be some genetic experts on here who could explain this to me. I am a Ret Protooncogene mutation C634Y in Exon 11 if that is any help.

A: Cassie, I’m sorry to hear about your condition.

You didn’t inherit a virus, but you inherited a mutated gene. So, you are completely human. Most cancers in humans are not caused by viruses, but are caused by mutations in genes that control cell division. A proto-oncogene is a gene that which it gets altered by a mutation leads to the development of a cancer of some kind. Different proto-oncogenes lead to the development of different kinds of cancers.

The “C634Y in exon 11″ means that the mutation you have is in a part of the gene that is present in the protein (exon). The “C634Y” describes the specific change in the 634th amino acid of the protein. RET is the specific gene that has mutated. Changes in this gene cause the cancer that you have.

I hope you’re doing OK…Feel free to message me.

Q: Because of radiation tmts I need to have special oxygen treatments does anyone know the name of oxygen?
I have a rare cancer Medullary Thyroid Cancer and because of the IMRT radiation tmts(37) it burned out the ssylvia and I was told the blood supply to my mouth, I have had my front 3 teeth break in half and was able to have dental work to repair, but am suffering in pain because I was unable to go to the hospital for 20 treatments 2 hours a day of this oxygen. I am now in such pain as 2 teth on left side have broken and 1 on the right and I cannot have a Dentist work on my mouth. Anyone know the name of the oxygen treatments??

A: Sorry, your question is not very clear.

Why oxygen would be needed as a painkiller in dental work beats me.

My mother had thyroid cancer, and never experienced that.

Q: What causes bilateral cervical nodes to be reactive???
On the report of my CT scan – also says “upper jugular chain nodes measure up to at least 2.1cm in short axis on the right.
I’m a 26 yr old female- with a history of medullary carcinoma of the breast. Family history of stomach, breast & thyroid cancer in my family.

A: Reactive cervical nodes general refer to lymph nodes in the neck that are enlarge due to infection or inflammation of your head and neck. For example they could be in reaction to a cold, skin infection, sore throat, tooth infections etc. At you age it is not unusual at all to have lymph nodes of the size you describe even without overt signs of infection.

thyroid cancer nodules

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about thyroid cancer nodules. For more, visit the Thyroid Disease website ThyroidDiseaseWiki.com.

Q: Does calcification in thyroid nodules mean you have cancer?
Ok so I had a thyroid biopsy done because there were multiple nodules found in my thyroid. I was told they are about 2 cm, (the 2 largest ones) The tech and the doctor that was performing the biopsy they said that I had calcification in the nodules, from what I saw the calcification was a little less than half the size of the actual nodule. Now does this indicate thyroid cancer?

A: Actually, calcified nodules of the thyroid account for only about 5% or so of thyroid cancers in general.

What needs to be done at this point is have the pathologist take a look at them to be sure.

A thyroid uptake scan is usually done BEFORE any biopsy would be done — typically looking for what are termed “cold nodules.” These are suspicious for cancer.

Best of luck to you!

Q: Do thyroid nodules that grow mean cancer? ?
I just had a FNA that came back as “moderately cellular smears without colloid suspicious for follicular neoplasm”. The doctor said I could get half my thyroid removed (the nodule is solid and measurement is 2.6cm x 1.6cm x1.6cm or every six months get an ultrasound to see if it grows. Will growth of this signify cancer? Apparantly, there is a 20% chance that this is cancer, but two doctors doubt it is. Thank you so much!

A: you have been given pretty solid information. “follicular neoplasm” of the thyroid is cancerous in 10 to 20 percent of cases, depending on which studies you read. Unfortunately, to tell the difference between cancerous and benign follicular neoplasms a pathologist needs to examine the entire capsule of the lesion (the layer of tissue on the outside of the mass) and this can only be done with surgical removal. Watching a neoplasm for growth is considered reasonable because of the 80-90% chance that it isn’t cancerous and the fact that even if it is cancerous thyroid cancer is typically not rapidly aggressive. if it does grow on repeat exam that is more worrisome for, but not a guarantee of, cancer. Ultimately you have to decide which you are more comfortable with, having surgery but knowing for sure what it is, or not having surgery and having some doubt. Discuss the risks and alternatives with your surgeon fully before you decide what to do.

Q: Thyroid cancer or just “nodules”?
I have 2 lumps (I guess its my thyroid nodule or something) on each side of my neck. I have had these for at least 3 years. I went to a my Dr. he felt it and said it was nothing. I don’t know though because I have those lumps, pain in my neck (sometimes on my right side of the neck, but mostly on my right) and pain in my ears sometimes. It’s not constant though. He didn’t even want to do any tests or anything, he took my blood to check my levels of stuff and said everything was fine… It’s just been really bothering me.

A: If you’re not satisfied with your current MD you can always ask for a referral right? Maybe he’s not worried because the nodules haven’t shown signs of being malignant( grown larger and are mobile)? Ask for a fine needle biopsy to be sure.

Q: Are thyroid nodules less or more likely to be cancerous when one has been taking Synthroid for 20 years?
Female. Age 62. Thyroid stopped functioning 20+ years ago. Now I have 3 nodules (2 solid, per ultrasound) and elevated Thyroglobulin. Hoarse voice. Cannot find any reference to incidence of thyroid cancer in people who have been on synthetic hormones for years.

A: Taking thyroid supplementation for hypothyroidism, whether synthetic or not, does not raise your chances of developing thyroid cancer. The nodules were a coincidence and not caused by the thyroid hormone supplementation. If you had not had the supplementation you would not have lived this past 20 years or if you did you would have been very miserable with symptoms. I’ve been on thyroid supplementation for much longer than twenty years.

Here is an ACS web page discussing the few real risk factors for thyroid cancer.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_2X_What_are_the_risk_factors_for_thyroid_cancer_43.asp

Q: Thyroid and cancer? Nodules?
I’m 16. And a year ago I was diagnosed with hashimotos hypothyroidsm. In may my levels stabled out. But I had hyper and hypo symptoms. If I miss one day of meds I feel off. Latley I’ve been having trouble swalloing. And I feel as if flem is stuck in my throat. So my endocrin decided I should get an ultrasound to check out the nodules. I had it on Monday and no results. I have parts of my skin that won’t tan. And no one else in my family has had the diease. Could It be cancerous?

A: I had thyroid cancer and I also feel off if I skip even one dose of my medications. (I don’t think this is due to the cancer since I didn’t start my medications until it was gone/treatment was over, it’s just the way I react to the medicine…so I think that could be what’s happening with you.) I CANNOT go off my thyroid medications or I have a lot of skin, emotional, and other problems. I also feel the phlegm in my throat thing, I think because if I go off my thryoid medications I have sinus problems as well and I’m not sure if my body ever caught up. Maybe you could ask for a mucus thinner, or drink something hot when you start to feel that? If the ultrasound didn’t get any results, maybe you should talk to your doctor about having a test where they look down your throat with a camera and can actually see your thyroid. I had this done for speech issues and that’s actually how they found my thyroid cancer. But mine also showed up on an ultrasound, so if nothing was there and your doctor isn’t worried you probably don’t have anything to worry about.

Q: Do growing thyroid nodules equal cancer?
I have a thyroid nodule that tested as benign about 4-5 months ago. At that time, the sonogram showed it was about 3.9 cm. Just the other day, I saw the endocrinologist the other day and she thinks it has grown about 1 cm.
The endocrinologist said she’s thinks it has grown about 1 cm but I go for an ultrasound today to confirm. If it has grown, I need another biopsy. I am having slight difficulty swallowing and discomfort. She also said my TSH levels are in the lower range of normal so suppressing it’s growth is not an option.

A: Not necessarily. Fast growing nodules could be a sign of cancer, but in most cases, that is not so. A single nodule is more likely to be cancer than multiple nodules, larger nodules (over 5 cm. or -2 inches) are more likely to be cancerous than small ones (however, I’ve been told by my endocrine surgeon anything over 2-2.5 cm is very suspicious). What has your endocrinologist suggested? Are you trying to suppress your TSH to see if it hinders further growth? Are you experiencing discomfort or trouble swallowing? It might be a good idea to seek a surgeon to see what they suggest (cancer or not) due to the sheer size. I wish you the best! I’m sure you’ll be fine!!

Edit: You could always get a second opinion if the results today aren’t what you want (i.e. do nothing).

Q: I have a calcified thyroid nodule.Can it be thyroid cancer?
I am 29 yrs old and 35 weeks pregnant with my 2nd baby.
Last week we noticed a big lump on the left side of my neck.My OBG said it was a thyroid nodule.
Tests for thyroid hormone came normal.
The thyroid nodule is quite big about 4.3 cm.
They did an ultrasound and said they saw a lump with a lot of calcification and blood supply to it.
They also did FNA biopsy and took samples from both my nodules since the other one also had a small nodule.

What are the chances that it will be a thyroid cancer?
Also what does the calcification with blood supply indicate?
If my nodule is that big,is there a chance that it may have spread?
If it is not cancer,do calcified nodules or thyroid glands still need to be removed?

I am still waiting for my biopsy results and hoping for the best.
I will discuss all this in detail with my doctor but your answers also will be highly appreciated.

A: The first thing you need to do, is relax.
Understand that IF it is cancer that the survival rate for thyroid cancer is high. Thyroid cancer is slow growing. The chances of it being spread to other areas of the body or to the lymphnodes often depends on the type of cancer you have. There are different forms

Papillary and/or mixed papillary/follicular ~ 78%
Follicular and/or Hurthle cell ~ 17%
Medullary ~ 4%
Anaplastic ~ 1%

I was diagnosed with mixed papillary/follicular carcinoma in 2007. I’ve been fighting ever since.

I’m not gonna pretend with you… your nodule is big. My biggest measured at 4.8 cm. The smallest 4.6 cm. Not too much bigger then yours, they wanted them removed for that reason alone.

Please note, that thryoid cancer is not detectable by blood tests. Many noncancerous thyroid conditions can cause an elevated thyroglobulin level thus the reason the blood tests are not used to determine cancer.

I have provided you with some links to read up all about thyroid cancer and disease. These links have helped me so much, from when they first discovered my nodules and throughout my fight.

Best of luck to you…

Feel free to contact me if you need support, I’ve been where you are and will be for the rest of my life!

Q: Can benign thyroid nodule become malignant cancer?
1) say biopsy shows nodule is benign, fine, but how do i know this will not turn into malignant cancer in future ?

2) should i be repeating biopsy every month or what?

3) and can (numerous) biopsies get the nodule to become malignant?

4) anyone whose biopsy detected benign nodule but this ended up being malignant cancer after some time?

A: my best friend of 20 years + had exactly the same as this. When she was around 35 she developed a lump in her neck – the doctor did a biopsy and the results came back benign. He gave her the choice, leave the lump there as it is harmless or, have it removed. I told her to have it removed as I wouldn’t want a lump in me. So, she gets it removed and as procedure, they test it. They then discover it is cancerous – she goes back in for a major operation to have her whole tyriod removed and is now on tyroxine. Remember that a biopsy only removes a small area of tissue and if that area isn’t cancerous then the results will be clear. Hope this helps.

Q: Will all nodules in the neck become thyroid cancer?
nodules in the neck

A: The short answer to that question is NO!
If you have a nodule in your thyroid it will be monitored. They may decide to take it out. The only way to tell if it’s cancer or not is either by a FNA(Biopsy) or to have it removed and sent to pathology.

I’ve sent you a link to a great website so you could educate yourself about the thyroid, diseases of it including cancer.

best of luck…

Q: is new nodule in neck thyroid cancer?
my friend had lymphoma but has been cancer free until they found a nodule in her neck near the thyroid gland, on a recent check up. Could this be related to the lymphoma returning or a whole new cancer of the thyroid?

A: Only her doctors will be able to determine what it is. I had a nodule in my thyroid that was biopsied and it was beign, but about 30 years later I had 2 others sitting behind it, and they were cancer. I hope that everything is going to be okay with your friend. I know she has already gone through enough already.

Q: THYROID CANCER? Is a cold, single thyroid nodule shows vascularization and calcification more likely to be ?
malignant or benign?

Statistically speaking

A: A single thyroid nodule is more likely to be malignant than multiple nodules, but 95% of nodules are benign. A cold nodule (doesn’t make thyroid hormone) can be malignant or benign, but warm or hot nodules have a better change of being benign. A biopsy is usually suggested for cold nodules, but be reassured that 85% of of cold nodules are benign. Fine, tiny microcalcifications are more suspicious for malignancy than large calcifications. Increased vascularity can be present in both benign and malignant thyroid nodules. If there are a number of suspicious signs, a biopsy would probably be suggested.

Q: can beningn thyroid nodule become malignant cancer?
1) say biopsy shows nodule is benign, fine, but how do i know this will not turn into malignant cancer in future ?

2) should i be repeating biopsy every month or what?

3) and can (numerous) biopsies get the nodule become malignant?

4) anyone whose biopsy detected benign nodule but this ended up being malignant cancer after some time?

A: Benign nodules of the thyroid gland are very common. Probably 25% of folks walking around have little lumps and bumps on their thyroids. They don’t usually turn malignant. Repeated biopsies don’t cause cancer either.

You could check on the nodule yearly. Even an ultrasound of your thyroid, yearly, can detect changes in the nodule.

Personally, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer 5 years ago. It’s actually an “easy” cancer to treat…no chemo or radiation. Just surgery and radioactive iodine.

I’m sure you’ll be fine!

regards,
mari

Q: What are the chances I have thyroid cancer?
I know there is a 5% chance of cancer if only a nodule is found. BUT I have been having unknown health problems for 4 years. They found my thyroid level to be pretty low. The nodule was mostly solid and the ultrasound couldnt rule cancer out. I didnt see anything about hot or cold. The specialist said he cant see me for 2 months. Ofcourse I am not going to wait that long. Does it seem like my chances are higher than 5%?

A: I guess it is hard to tell, unless I know more about you, but I will try my best to give you some risk factors so you can have a general idea.

Risk factor for thyroid cancer can generally divided intrinsic and extrinsic.
Intrinsic risk factors are woman, elderly, and family history of thyroid cancer like MEN syndrome, FAP, etc.
Extrinsic risk factors are diet low in iodide, prior radiation

But the only way to be sure is to do a Fine needle aspiration. (For some time, like follicular cancer, an excisional biopsy is needed)

Hope that helps. Good luck

follicular thyroid cancer

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Read and learn more about follicular thyroid cancer. For more, visit the Thyroid Disease website ThyroidDiseaseWiki.com.

Q: Is follicular thyroid cancer hereditary?
My grandma has it, and not only am I worried about her, but I am wondering if I have a higher risk of getting it, or if my mom has a higher risk. I understand that cancer is a mutation, but I also know that some cancers can be hereditary especially if they are autosomal dominant. Is follicular thyroid cancer hereditary or not?

A: Follicular thyroid cancer is not hereditary, Medullary thyroid cancer is. There is a small possibility (5%) that one could get a HNMTC (hereditary non-medullary thyroid cancer) and if 3 or more first degree relatives have it, your chance of getting it is 94%. You would have to get screened to rule out everything. Hope this helps, good luck.

Q: I am going through follicular thyroid cancer. Is it possible for me to get medicaid or financial assistance?
i work full time but i am single and no kids. i need help with these high medical bills. I live in Mississippi.

A: You can qualify for Medicaid if you don’t have kids. Look into food stamps as well. There could be some other programs to help you pay your recent medical bills, especially hospital bills. Virginia has a program called “State and Local Hospitalization” that helps people who have hospital bills. I didn’t have insurance at the time, so I don’t know if that was a requirement. Social Services will be able to help you.

Q: What happens if a person decides not to have surgery for a “possible” follicular thyroid cancer?

A: Follicular thyroid cancer has a tendency to be pretty aggressive and blood vasculature found around the tumor is more extensive as well. Complete removal is often the best route of treatment from what I have seen. It cuts the risk of the cancer metastasizing to other areas such as lung, bladder or bone. Many times, this type of cancer can be cured if complete removal is performed and the cancer is localized to the thyroid.

Q: Question about Follicular Thyroid Cancer?
I just found out my mom has had this cancer, and can someone please explain to me exactly what this means:

“Pathology is key in predicting survival. Tumors with microscopic capsular or venous capsular invasion have cure rates in the 99% range. Cancers that can be recognized by the surgeon have a 10 year cure rate in the 40% range.”

Does this mean that if it is recognized by the surgeon, the chances of healing completely are 40%?

A: Please, Please Please go to www.thyca.org and also join the yahoo health group thyca@yahoogroups.com. the first is the national site for thyroid cancer and they will give you so much great and accurate info. the second is a discussion board where you can learn more about optimising your mom’s treatments and helping her. Follicular thyroid cancer is the second most common. Papillary is the first. and they can be combined too. it all depends on how far things have moved along, and with any cancer, the earlier it is found the better. it is slow growing and can usually be treated by surgery first and then (following a low iodine diet for two weeks before hand) swallowing a radiation pill which kills thyroid cancer. I had a thyroidectomy (known as a TT) and it was a very easy recovery. if it has spread farther, some people have to have alot of lymph nodes removed too. then we stay on suppressive doses of synthroid (never a generic) and get tested yearly. some people even say it is the best cancer to get…(I say if it is so great than they can have it!) but there is really great info out there, and also some bogus stuff…and some doctors are great at explaining things and some not. she needs an experienced surgeon in thyroidectomies and she needs an endo for afterwards who does know his arse from his elbow in thryoid cancer too. it has been since may 07 when I had my surgery, and I feel really great now, and my 1 year scan was clear. Please go to those sites and learn all you can (her too, since she will be the one going to the doctors) and feel free to join the yahoo group…it is great, and I will see you on there! (also, the mayo clinic has a good site)

Q: I have been diagnosed with follicular thyroid cancer, how successful are current treatments?

A: Not as successful as the treatments listed at the site below.

Q: I had follicullar thyroid cancer?
I had follicular thyroid cancer they removed my whole thyroid thyroidectomy and they removed some lymph nodes in my neck in 1995 now I have to take synthetic horromes for the rest of my life now when i get hungery or little hungery i get dizzy and heart palputations i eat so much to stop the dizzness and heart palputatuions twice in 1996 i was back in the hospital for dizzness and heart palputations the horrmones i take regulate my heart and metabulism that my thyroid use too the follicular thyroid cancer was in my follicules and lymph nodes with no metabulism now i eat and eat if the heart palputations and dizzness feels like a heart attack i goto the hospital tell me why the heart palputations and dizzness

A: Might be due to having your uterus removed and wanting a transplant?

Q: can you donate your eggs if you have had thyroid cancer?
i had follicular cancer two years ago, i did not have chemotherapy but i did have radioactive iodine.
i no longer have a thyroid and i am on synthroid. from what i was told thyroid cancer is not hereditary so will this not allow me to donate eggs?

A: I’m not sure what criteria they look at for past medical history, but having I-131 and being on Synthroid shouldn’t effect your eggs. I also have to wonder, would these perspective parents want to use your eggs…I’m not so sure!

Q: Thyroid Cancer Survivor now losing my hair?
It’s been over a year since I have been 100% cancer free, but lately I’ve been losing my hair!

Well I have been losing my hair since I was first diagnosed with Papillary and Follicular thyroid cancer, but I thought it was part of the radiation or thyroid medication..

Well its been over a year, and I’m still losing my hair! Its been thinning out, and I seem to lose about 300-500 hairs a day!

I don’t have a history of hair loss in my family “my father and grandparents have full thick heads of hair”

Am I getting the right level of medication? I don’t have a thyroid glad, and am taking 100 mcg of Levothyroxin “The cheapest one I think”; I find myself yawning all the time, and my hair is pretty thin now.. Should I talk to another doctor? I’m willing to try a more expensive substitute if it means saving my hair..

Thank you and please help!

A: Yay for over a year of being cancer free!! Okay, usually a couple months after surgery, you can start to lose hair, but it should stop. Did you have Radioactive Iodine? If so, did you go hypo or did you get Thyrogen injections? If you were off meds to get hypo, that can cause slow hair growth/ hair loss. On the other hand, once you start Levothyroxine, it can cause temporary hair loss, but it should get better within a few months.

I would tell your doctor about these symptoms, especially if they are new. When’s the last time your TSH was checked? You’re on a pretty low dose.

Since you had thyroid cancer, you need to have a suppressed TSH to prevent any cancer from coming back, so your medicine needs to work correctly. It is NOT recommended to take the cheapest (generic) Levothyroxine because it has a narrow therapeutic range, meaning that a tiny change can cause significant effects. You are not guaranteed to get the same generic Levothyroxine pill each month, your pharmacy might be switching between a couple manufacturers and that can be harmful to you. It’s best to get a brand name Levothyroxine like Synthroid or Levoxyl, just for the main reason that they are guaranteed to be consistent.

watch this for proof why generics are bad: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8924782

Talk to your doctor, switch to brand name, and hopefully that will solve the problem! Good luck with everything!

Q: Why would a thyroid tumor have both papillary and follicular cells?
My friend was just dx’d w/ thyroid cancer. She had surgery to remove the 1.2 centimeter tumor in the middle of her thyroid. 3 of the 6 lymph nodes that were taken were found to also have cancer. Why would her tumor be both papillary AND follicular? What does that mean for her?

A: Thyroid cancer is not rare. It’s the easiest to cure. I am surprised they did not take all the thyroid. All this means is the thyroid cancer went into the nodes. I had thyroid cancer the same kind with lymph nodes also cancer seeded with thyroid. I was given after surgery, radio-active iodine in large doses to get rid of all thyroid cancer several times. And yes you are radio-active to others. You stay away from children, women who are prego. It’s not as bad as you think I am still here and trust my doctor to do his best for me. I sure will be praying for your friend. Now smile people do care.

Q: So, I have follicular lesions of the thyroid…potentially cancer…having surgery…what now?
So, I’m having surgery to remove my thyroid on june 4th. my endocrinologist says that I’m not hypo but I have every single symptom so I kinda disagree with him. I’m at least on the very low side of normal. I upped how much I worked out this semester to 4 days a week for two to three hours and I actually gained a pound. Has anyone been moderately overweight but very active and healthy and then had a thyroidectomy and in turn gained more weight? It would be bad for my health to gain more…how do I go about asking the endocrinologist to try and put me at the high side of normal without seeming bossy? How crappy will I feel after surgery? Has anyone lost weight after such a surgery?
I’ve already had a fine needle aspiration of my thyroid(basically they jammed a big old needle into my thyroid and sucked out some of the lesion cells) and this just told them the cells are abnormal and potentially cancerous. I have to have surgery or I could die. Follicular cancers often metastisize and then spread through the blood. I have three lesions. I know the diff between hypo and hyper. My bloodwork is all normal but I feel very hypo. Perhaps the “abnormal cells” have exacerbated the slightly hypo problem. All I know is I feel the emotional roller coaster of doom and surgery scares the crap out of me. I’m 21, how can I be this sick when I’ve tried so hard all my life to get well? ( oh, I’m also eplieptic and have panic attacks…sound fun, don’t I?)

A: My daughter was dx w/papillary thyroid cancer w/follicular variant last year at the age of 14. Her FNA was abnormal, so they scheduled a thyroidectomy. During surgery, the pathologist did a frozen section analysis of the tumor (once removed of course) and did not find any indication of cancer. So, w/ only half her thyroid removed, they closed her back up and sent her home the next morning. HOWEVER, they sent the sample to a lab in CA (we’re in OH) and she in fact did have cancer. So, 7 days after her first surgery we were back in the hospital for another surgery where they removed the remainder of her thyroid as well as some lymph nodes. To reassure you, she BREEZED through surgery. She said that was the simplest part of the whole thing. The most difficult was the preparation for the radioactive iodine tx. BUT, I would encourage you to have your thyroid removed. I realize the operation is frightening, but the consequences are even more so. The surgery truly is not as bad as one may think, especially when you are young like yourself and my daughter. I must tell you though that my daughter has gained 8 pounds in 10 months since her surgery. She is VERY active playing volleyball, track and jogging. So, yes, it is true that people often gain weight, but it can be controlled to the best of your ability. Your life is much more important ). Best of luck to you!

Q: THYROID CANCER; Please Read?
Can a 19 year old have stage 3, or 4 thyroid cancer? Just wondering because I found this online:

Note: All the stage III and IV patients with follicular or papillary thyroid cancer are, by definition, over 45 years old.

A: Technically, yes you can have stage III or IV thyroid cancer at 19, but it would be only for Medullary or Anaplastic. You can have Stage 0-IV Medullary thyroid cancer at any age, but it’s a rarer cancer since it’s mainly hereditary. Anaplastic is always Stage IV, but there are sub-stages IVA, IVB, IVC.

No one under 45 can have Stage III or IV Papillary or Follicular thyroid cancer.

Q: If I have follicular neoplasm is there a test to chk if it is cancer ? Dr wants to remove thyroid. I don’t.
If I have follicular neoplasm is there a test to check if it is cancer ? Dr wants to remove thyroid. I don’t unless it is cancer and he says the only way is to remove your thyroid and than check it. There’s got to be some sort of blood test or something to tell if it is cancerous or not ..I do not want a cut on my neck if it is not necessery. It does not bother me at all. Thanks in advance.

A: If you have a nodule on your thyroid then a FNA or Fine Needle Bio spy is done. There is no blood work per SE that can be done. With my thyroid cancer all blood was normal range. The needle biopsy can sample the area in question to see what it contains. Sometimes the FNA biopsy can come back inconclusive as mine did I have had three surgeries because my GP waited a year, my thyroid nodule was ruptured, this caused the disease to spread, so I try to help those who need answers by telling you what not to do, if they don’t want to do the FNA and they just want to do surgery then it would be in your better interest. Tell the surgeon ahead of time if they find cancer to remove the entire thyroid. I have talked with so many people who only had half removed only to have surgery again to remove the other half

Q: thyroid cancer?
I was diagnosed with pappillary thyroid cancer with a follicular varient in November 2006. They removed 1/2 of the thyroid for the biopsy then the remainder after they determined it was cancer. They then did I-131 my doctor is wanting me to become hyperthyroid. He want’s my TSH .003, They have increased my Synthroid steadily over the last few months. I am now on 150 mcg. I am now starting to gain weight and am extremely tired. I called my doctor today and he told me there isn’t anything he can do until I have been on the synthyroid for 4 weeks. He said this could be due to another condition, that I would need to contact my pcp for this. I think this has to do with my thyroid. Has anyone had this happen? I gained about 10lbs in the last 2 weeks.

A: I had my thyroid removed after papillary thyroid cancer that spread to a lymph node. My doctors want me slightly hyperthyroid, but with a TSH only around 0.1 – 0.3.

They started me at 100 mcg of synthroid and I did not begin to feel good until my dose was at 200 mcg. I am not sure you are at your proper dose yet, until I was, my mind was cloudy and I was extremely tired. I didn’t gain weight, but I lost my appetite while I was under medicated. I lost 10 lbs once I was at the right level but I regained that later.

I have never returned to 100%, but I am able to work, more tired than normal, and more on edge, but my mind is back.

It may take a while before you get to your proper dose, but I am skeptical about how you will feel with a TSH that low.

Q: Am I a Cancer Survivor?
I have been fighting a variant of Papillary and Follicular Thyroid Cancer for over 8 months, and its finally over… I think?

Well my Doctor said he treated it, but I will have to return cause there is still thyroid activity. But other than that he said it was treated.

Now that the hustle and bustle is done, and the battle is said and won, does this make me a survivor?

I also feeling less sleepy, there were some days I’m wake up… and two days would go by. But now my sleep scheduale is almost normal and my joints are no longer hurting

I hope it doesn’t return ^__^
Thank you all so much!

I hope the best for everyone as well, and if I learned anything from this, no matter how much I didn’t show it, I help a lot in when I needed someone most. <3 If someone you know has cancer, be there for them no matter how strong they "seem". :)

Happy Holidays
I did get my entire thyroid removed. And now I’m having stomatch pains =O

But thank you All for your Help! And I will move out of America, why is it that everyone seems to get sick a lot here?

A: You are a survivor from the moment you are diagnosed! You are living and surviving through your treatment, dealing with the emotional roller coaster ride and managing various physical symptoms and side effects. All in all you are surviving and a survivor. Even if you are living with cancer that is being managed or you have gone into remission, you are a survivor!

You do NOT need to wait for your doctor to tell you that you are now a survivor, as it is not their place to do so and you will always be a survivor until the day you die!

Enjoy the life you have and congratulations on the positive outcome of your treatment.

Q: Whatever happened with Erin and the vascular growth on her thyroid from last year?
I am asking because now one of the growths on my thyroid has turned vascular and I cannot find any information that talks about vascular growths. All I can find are articles that talk about vascular growths in terms of follicular cancer. Are all vascular growths cancerous or not?

A: If the growth (nodule) has peripheral vascularity, it still can be benign “50 % of benign nodules have peripheral vascularity”.
If the nodule has increased blood flow in the core of nodule, it elevates the CHANCE for malignancy.