thyroid cancer

surviving · Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2008 11:40 am Post subject: thyroid cancer

Hi, I just registered for this helpful site. I'm a 43 yr old female that was diagnosed with papillary and follicular thyroid cancer in April 2008 after developing a lump and discomfort swallowing. I was on synthroid for 13-14 years with no problems. After I found the lump I saw my Mothers Oncologist how sent me for a FNB which was inconclusive, he than sent me to a Endocrinologist who immediately told me I needed to have total thyroidectomy. The Surgeon agreed and I had it the next week. The recovery was surprisingly easy. After stopping the synthroid for 6 weeks I had RAI treatment and whole body scan in June. Since then I have been slowly getting back to normal.

Now in November I developed a full filling in my throat and thought it was from the sinus infection I had. But a neck ultrasound showed 12 enlarged lymph nodes and two were not the normal shape. So I had another FNB of the two most suspicious nodes just last week, the biopsy came back negative I'm just waiting for the Thyroglubulin stain results. I still have the fullness in my throat.

Anyone have any idea what this fullness is? I'm still very scared and most people don't understanding what I'm feeling.
Crying or Very sad

Thank you for this site and your time.
_________________
Maryann
thyroid cancer 4/08 papillari & fallicular

brainman · Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 10:41 pm Post subject: Re: thyroid cancer

Hi serviving. I am very sorry about your cancer. I am also sorry that no one has replied yet. I really do not know anything about your type of cancer but I have been keeping watch since you posted it. Unfortunately, we really do not have an "expert" for this particular type of cancer like we do for other types.

I just want to let you know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. Hopefully someone with my knowledge will reply soon.
_________________
Jim
Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
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surviving · Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:47 pm Post subject: fullness in throat

I have been doing some research and found the fullness could be scar tissue from the surgery.

The stain for Thyroglubulin was negitive! That is supposed to mean NO cancer. I just hope that is true, I will see my oncologist on the 17th to get his opinion. I was also told that the lymph nodes may not go back to their normal size and shape that surprised me.

How do pet scans help diagnose the spread of cancer? My oncologist said he might want to do one depending on the biopsy results.
_________________
Maryann
thyroid cancer 4/08 papillari & fallicular

brainman · Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 3:02 pm Post subject: Re: thyroid cancer

In a PET scan, you get an injection of a radioactive sugar. Cancer cell will take up more sugar than normal cell do because their metabolism is racing like the gas peddle is stuck. The they do a scan that is sort of like a whole body x-Ray. If there is any cancer in your body, those tumors will show up as white spot on a mostly black background. We jokingly say that the cancer glows.

Doctors like to use it to check the whole body at one time whereas they use other scans for more details about the specific location of tumors to see if surgery is appropriate.
_________________
Jim
Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 3: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Twitter: @JimHawkins54

surviving · Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:29 pm Post subject: thyrogen

my latest biopsy was negitive and I have pretty much returned to normal. Of course I was a basket case waiting for the results, which most people don't understand. They like to tell you not to worry about it untill the doctors tell you you have something to worry about. I don't know if I will ever be able to do that.

Anyway my most recent doctors visit all blood work was normal! I'm schedualed for a repeat neck ultrasound and trying to get precert for Throgen injections and rai. I have found some info online about this drug which sounds much better than stopping synthroid for six weeks. Can anyone tell me if they had any side effects from this drug? I like to be prepared not surprised!

Thank you for your time and [u]understanding[/u]!
_________________
Maryann
thyroid cancer 4/08 papillari & fallicular

centaura · Regular Joined: 05 Feb 2009 Posts: 15 Location: Midwest

Well, I can certainly understand waiting for news driving you nuts! I'm currently waiting for a biopsy for a neck mass, and I about broke down when I found out that the diagnosis was going to be put off for a few weeks. I like to have control over my life, but when you're waiting for serious news, you stop having control over your life. Suddenly, that bit of news has control and you can't change it - you can't plan, you can't change anything, you're just stuck in limbo. And trust me, there is no way that you 'can't worry about' when its your own body that has an issue! Cancer is a big scare.

I had the question of who to tell that I might have cancer, and I tested it out on another forum that I frequent. The overwhelming response was to hide the news from everyone you know, which I thought was an interesting response. In part, its what I've been doing - only a couple people know that I'm waiting to hear - but its interesting that folks just assumed that you should deal with it yourself. I can tell that they've never been in that situation - felt the fear, the uncertainty; heard the doctors use scary words like 'carcinoma' and have it be YOU that they're talking about. I still really haven't told anyone else but am not sure how much longer that I'm going to be able to pretend that I'm okay.

As for you other question - I'm not certain of the drug that you're referencing, but in what I've read about thyroid cancer - they sometimes reccomend going on T3 when you've been taken off of T4 (your normal thyroid med). Its supposed to both help stop some of the hypothyroid symptoms from coming back, as well as help suppress T4 production. Your body normally changes its T4 into T3, but if there is an over abundance of T3 - it helps reduce the amount of T4 in your system which is their goal. Reduced amounts of T4 allows more RAI to be taken up by any remaining thryoid tissues.

-Centaura

surviving · Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:41 pm Post subject: thank you

Centaura thank you for the info on T3 and T4 I will do some research while I wait for insurance approval. Like you I like to feel like I have some control over my treatment options. I know the insurance companies like the same thing.
_________________
Maryann
thyroid cancer 4/08 papillari & fallicular

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