thyroid cancer

[teenarocks]

I'm going with my niece to her appointment today. She's been told they can't tell what kind of thyroid cancer she has until after then remove it. Does this sound right? They did a biopsy. That's how they found out she has cancer so why didn't it tell them what kind?

[shaws Administrator]

I cannot answer your question but this is a link which may be helpful.

endocrineweb.com/guides/thy...

When someone gets a diagnosis of cancer it is frightening but with thyroid cancer I believe it is easily treatable by having the gland removed.

Someone who has gone through this will respond when they read the question.

I hope your niece gets good treatment.

[teenarocks in reply to shaws]

We went to the doctor today and he said he is as certain as he can be that it is papillary cancer.

[Churchie]

What grade was her biopsy? Was it an FNA or a core biopsy? Has any mention mean made about her lymph nodes being strange/ different ?

[teenarocks in reply to Churchie]

It was FNA and today the doctor said he is as certain as he can be it is papillary cancer. He cannot detect and lymph node abnormality but says he finds it in most cases.

[Churchie in reply to teenarocks]

Presumably the result was a THY4 or THY5 then. Does this ring any bells? If this is the case then the standard treatment is total thyroidectomy. I think the cancer can only then be graded once the thyroid is removed and the hystology report is done. However if doctor doesn't think that the lymph nodes are affected then it would be a stage 1 or 2 cancer which has a very good prognosis although it must be a very worrying time for you and your niece. There is very good information on both the cancer research and macmillans website.

I wish you the best of luck x

[teenarocks in reply to Churchie]

Thank you for your kind response. She is understandably worried but from everything I've been able to gather from this site, I think in the end she will be fine. I think someday they will be able to zap the tumor and leave the thyroid intact. But unfortunately we are not there yet. It seems a shame to remove a perfectly good, functioning thyroid just because there is a small tumor on it. She has no symptoms and is on no medication.

[shaws Administrator]

At least she now has a diagnosis of the type and I hope she recovers well after the op and she is given more than adequate thyroid hormone replacement.

Best wishes

[charon]

Hi there, i was diagnosed with the same type of cancer in April, when i went to see my surgeon, i asked why he didnt just remove the half of the thyroid withthe tumour, he told me that because some of the nodules where cancerous, there was every chance the other's would change and become cancerous too, so he advised me to remove all the thyroid.

The diagnoses and upset watching my family trying to cope with the news, was more upsetting to me than the opperation it's self.

I wish you all well, just research as much as you can, i could not have coped without the information and support from this group,

[teenarocks in reply to charon]

Thank you Charon. I hope my niece will be as fortunate. I am hypothyroid and have had 20+years of poor treatment so I am very concerned about her post surgery corrective hormone replacement.