Can a tumour grow back

[Tinkestral]

Hi all had a 6cm tumour removed 8 weeks ago . Healed well and had a call from hospital saying nothing to worry about. Healed great scar practically gone too. This is a two part question ..

Prior to my op I was up and down eating like there was no tomorrow shaking like blood sugar had dropped . High blood pressure tired list endless . All blood tests come back to say thyroid was working fine .

The tumour which was sticking out like a egg was removed plus right side of my thyroid . After my op I felt amazing . My appetite returned to normal blood pressure went normal . Scar healing ace.

So now I am eight weeks down line and don't feel fantastic. My voice has started going again, I feel some thing every time I swallow it's like I have returned to how I was before op.

I went to see gp who was pretty much reluctant to have a opinion just said ring hospital.

So can tumours effect you and can they grow back . Thought s

[susymac]

I would imagine they could grow back. But that does not mean to say I think yours has. It is unlikely (although not impossible) that it would grow back in such a short space of time either.

I think your GP is correct in telling you to ring the hospital. You are still under their care, and if anything is not right, then it is them and not the GP who would be able to look into it.

How long ago were the bloods done? because as you have had part of your thyroid removed, the swallowing and voice problems could be as simple as you needing thyroid replacement therapy. I believe it is normal for your levels to start dropping after a partial thyroidectomy. You should try to make an appointment to get new bloods done and get an appointment with the consultant

[vajra]

+1 on getting bloods done. Although if they tell you they are normal and not hypothyroid/under replaced with thyroid hormone don't necessarily believe that either. (the test is notoriously unreliable - this site is full of reports of people who are badly hypothyroid desite 'normal' blood test results)

This is only surmise - but it'd sound very fast for any sort of recurrence to occur. It seems fairly unlikely that they would mistakenly give you an all clear as after surgery - as pathology has by then had the opportunity to physically examine the tumour or whatever was removed.

It depends on the specific type, but quite a few of these tumours seem anyway to be borderline in terms of malignancy/non malignancy - they get removed for safety, but the cellular changes in them may not definitively prove malignancy. Whether or not they are encapsulated, or whether they have penetrated blood vessels are also significant considerations.

The system seems to presume that if part of the thyroid is removed that the rest will step up to take over - but it isn't necessarily the case. Or at least it can take quite some time.

They also like for some reason to send patients who have had a partial off on a derisorily low dose of replacement hormone - and won't necessarily schedule a follow up blood test for months. (3m in my own case)

I had a partial, and within weeks was so badly hypothyroid (in need of hormone) that I was quite ill - and had to take steps to get to see somebody.

It seems very much that we need to bang on doors/push for treatment in this scenario. There may be a rationale (in terms of hypothyroidism exerting pressure for the remainder of the thyroid to to take over), but it equally seems to fly in the face of (now somewhat discredited it seems) thinking on suppression/overdosing of hormone to slow/prevent re-growth of any tumour.....

ian

[Tinkestral in reply to vajra]

Thanks both for your replies. I have now spoke to the doctor at the hospital and he basically said its impossible for it to grow back . I am seeing him 27 sept so it's about 16 weeks after op. I haven't had any bloods since op either as neither gp or hospital had requested any .

The tumour was totally cancer free so that is brill but the lump in my throat feeling isn't going and I have to gulp every minute I look as though I have got OCD .

[Granitecitygirl]

Could the lump be scar tissue from the op?

[2ndtimeround]

I had a thyroidectomy 18 years ago for a goitre in May I had 3 new nodules removed so yes they can grow back. Although it may be scar tissue as I know I can feel this from my latest surgery.

[Tinkestral in reply to 2ndtimeround]

I think it may be just scar tissue