re: Thyroid Cancer, how fricked?

I had two different family members with it. They fully recovered from the cancer but have to take hormones.

My mom had it 8 years ago. Thyroid removed, has to take meds to replace thyroid function but otherwise has a normal life. Apparently her thyroid wasn’t right for years even before cancer, she lost a lot of weight after

Papillary and follicular are usually not bad actors. Anaplastic and medullary are very bad actors.

For papillary, treatment will depend on size of nodule, and if there is evidence of spread to nodes in your neck.

Usually, if less than 4cm and no evidence in other side or in lymph nodes, they’ll take one side out. They may end up taking both depending on those things. If they do both, you take radioactive iodide which kills any other thyroid tissue. If they leave one side, no radioactive iodide.

NCCN here’s a link to the NCCN patient handout. Good amount of information.

For us all, if we live long enough, there’s a 30% chance of developing cancer. Most commonly prostate in men and breast in women. So if you fall in that 30%, and got to chose which one to get, papillary should be close to #1 choice.

I removed several of these during med surgical rotations. Excellent % positive outcomes.
Will need to likely take synthroid or Armor thyroid. And need to watch parathyroid and calcium levels in your blood.
But overall, if treated properly, you should be good to go.

Easy one. Cut it out and move on.

It is a cancer where a very large percentage of patients (well over 90%) live normal lifespan after the surgery.

Good luck to you.

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re: Thyroid Cancer, how fricked?Posted on 7/16/22 at 4:46 pm to pistolpete23 I had zero symptoms. Found by accident on a heart echo.

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Interesting. I do cardiac echo for a living and that’s typically not an incidental finding we would see. I’ve seen jacked up thyroids doing carotid ultrasounds but the thyroid is pretty difficult to image doing an echo.

Caught early for me at 31, and I have a small scar on my neck from the procedure. Went home after 48 hours. 2 weeks off of work. Additional 4 weeks of light duty at work. I'm living my best life at 36. I pray it is just as easy for you!

They'll take your thyroid and put you on meds. The meds are tough to regulate. You'll have to work through it. Good luck on your journey.

Not high jacking thread. Wife ( no pics) found black looking mole on stomach last week. Going to dermatologist Thursday if cancer how bad. I know name of cancer can’t spell. Dumb freak I know, skin cancer. Any info appreciated , def worried for her.