I had a 2nd RAI treatment in March and now in August my salivary glands in my cheeks are swelling up and very painful. My endocrinologist says this is okay and should go away. I can taste a salty fluid and she says this is the iodine from the radiation treatment.
Also, she says my cancer marker is up around 5 and is recommending me to a surgeon. She says radioactive iodine is useless at this point. She says the cancer is possibly microscopic and is ordering another PET scan before I see the surgeon.
Could the marker test be misguided? I am scared to have some kind of disection surgery.