Stage Iv Papillary Diagnosis

I've been reading a lot of the posts here and also have been reading posts on thyca website regarding thyroid cancer.  My question is I have noticed that papillary thyroid cancer is normally staged I or II if you are under the age of 40 or 45.  I know that prognosis is based on the size of the tumor, if it has spread and your age.  Well if you are under the age of 40 or 45 and have been diagnosed with stage IV papillary cancer and the main tumor was 4 cent. in size and it had spread to the lymph nodes which were all removed at surgery along with many clean lymph nodes will being age 27 help the prognosis?

It's confusing because all the young people with papillary cancer all seem to have stage I or II.

Can anyone help me out here.

Lou

Our doctor told us that if you're under age 45 at diagnosis, you can't be higher than Stage II.  This is for differentiated papillary.

If you Google "thyroid cancer staging" an ACS site will come up first. It has a great page explaining the stages.

Excerpt:

Patients Younger than 45 Years

Stage I: Any T, any N, M0: The tumor can be any size and may or may not have spread to lymph nodes. It has not spread to distant sites.

Stage II: Any T, any N, M1: The tumor can be any size and may or may not have spread to lymph nodes. It has spread to distant sites.

Kelli 

On 9/5/2007 kelli79 wrote:

Our doctor told us that if you're under age 45 at diagnosis, you can't be higher than Stage II.  This is for differentiated papillary.

If you Google "thyroid cancer staging" an ACS site will come up first. It has a great page explaining the stages.

Excerpt:

Patients Younger than 45 Years

Stage I: Any T, any N, M0: The tumor can be any size and may or may not have spread to lymph nodes. It has not spread to distant sites.

Stage II: Any T, any N, M1: The tumor can be any size and may or may not have spread to lymph nodes. It has spread to distant sites.

Kelli 

 

Kelli,

I have read the same excerpts too from many different sites, that's why I'm so confused.  The surgeon didn't go over the pathology report with us, we asked to have a copy.  He did assure us that there was no spread and that he was able to take all of the cancer out.  If there was any it will be taken care of with RAI.

Lou