Newly Diagnosed

On 5/21/2007 Seashore wrote:

 

On 5/21/2007 Leemg wrote:

Hi!

Just read your e-mail dated March regarding a thyroid nodule that may

be cancerous.  I'm over 50 and having a thyroid nodule biopsied in a

couple weeks.  Apparently, I have several nodules but this one in

particular is solid and has micro calcification/s within or around, not

sure.  Dr. says there is an 80% chance of it being malignant but he

claims that thryoid cancer is easily treated if discovered early and has

an extremely high cure rate compared to other cancers.  I have read

a lot on the subject as well and what I have read concurs with what

my endocrinologist has said.  There is, however, one form of thyroid

tumor that does have a poor prognosis but not sure what type.  One

thing I have read is if you have hyper or hypothroidism or other

 problem as a result most liklely the nodule is benign.  I have neither

so I'm a little concerned.  I'm also a breast cancer survivor of 3 & l/2 years.  Let me know how things have gone for you.

Is the dr planning to do a biopsy?

My fine needle aspiration was very suspisious for papillary cell cancer. I had a total thyroidectomy on 4/25. Post op I had 2 drains that were removed the next day. I didn't have enough pain to warrant taking pain meds.I ate reguler food a few hours after surgery and was up to the bathroom with help shortly after surgery. My voice was not hoarse, my throat was barely sore. I felt like there was a rubber band stretched across the front of my neck. It still feels that way, but is much smaller now. My calcium did drop as soon as surgery was over. He did an autotransplant of one parathyroid. My magnesium was also low. I received supplements of both and had labs drawn every 12 hours. That kept me from going home the next day.I am still taking TUMS for the calcium. I went home on the 27th. No driving and no lifting for a week. I went back to work on 5/7.

Mine was well diferentiated papillary cell cancer. My nodule was found because I became hyperthyroid and it showed up cold on the iodine uptake scan. This was in the left lobe. I had several nodules in the right lobe, but they were benign. My lymph nodes removed at surgery were benign. My malignancy measured 1x1x1.1 cm. This was classified as stage 1. My endocrinologist told me I did not need to do the radioactive iodine treatment unless I wanted to. I have chosen to do a small dose of RAI and then have a whole body scan. Last Friday I stopped my cytomel [the thyroid replacement I started after surgery] and started the low iodine diet. The diet isn't too bad except I work and it is difficult to take my lunch because I'm out making calls. Today's lunch was apple, banana and health food store peanut butter  [no salt]on matzo cracker. Yuck.I see the dr. Friday to check to see how high my TSH has risen. I expect it to take until sometime next week for it to reach 30.

I did finally find some info that explained why some people over 40 - 45 do not do as well. There is a variant of papillary cell cancer called tall cell [there may be a couple of more]. These variants are known to be more agressive than regular papillary cell and tends to be seen on older people. Otherwise, everything I have read indicates this is a very slow growing cancer and the means of tracking for recurrences is pretty effective. I suppose if you have to have cancer, this is one of the better ones to have. No cancer would be better. I went to a yoga class last week and a few days later had leg pain. Although I was sure it came from the class, it still worried me until it went away. Also, last week I went for my mammogram and found myself very stressed over this, convinced that something else would be wrong with me. I don't have the reslults yet, but finally calmed down some about that situation.

There is a thyroid cancer called anaplastic that is very aggressive. The nodule usually grows very rapidly. We had a chief justice die of this a few years ago. From what I could find it is rare and usually found in the elderly.

I am sorry you are facing the possibility of going through another cancer diagnosis. But, you do have a 20% chance that this is benign. Keep me informed of how things are going. Good luck.

Thanks so much for getting back.  Sorry, it turned out to be cancerous but glad you are now doing well.  Yes, I'm scheduled to have a needle aspiration of a small nodule on the right side June 7th.  There are two other questionable nodules with coarse calcifications but dr. indicated that unless the more suspicious lesion proves to be benign it won't be necessary to biopsy the others.  I guess he has already determined that if the more suspicious nodule on the right lobe is malignant they would just do a total thryoidectomy probably due to the number of nodules and those two others which would otherwise have to be watched.  I'm assuming this would be the course of action.  The nodule in question is very small and so therefore not very aggressive so I guess this is a good thing from what you say.  And, you are right, there is a 20% of it being benign and then I would just have to be followed.  When I had a suspicious mammo the radiologist told me I had about a 15% chance of it being malignant and it was, so maybe I just follow the lower percentage rates which in this case would be in my favor.  My concern is that I'm on so many medications as it is and have been treated for osteoporosis I can't afford to have my calcium levels affected.  Is this the norm or was this unique in your situation after the thryoidectomy??  My thryoid levels are otherwise unaffected so I'm hoping this isn't one more thing that has be be dealt with.  Seems one thing triggers another, and another.  Good luck on your mammo, glad to hear you are followiing up with those, mine probably saved my life as I did not have a palpable lump at the time of diagnosis, only a strange pattern of microcalcification that had increased in number from a previous study.  I'll let you know what happens after the biopsy. Thanks again!