Thyroid Cancer

Question: Where are the top sites in the US for thyroid cancer evaluation and treatment? Female, 62 years, on Synthroid for 20+ years after thyroid stopped functioning. Recent ultrasound shows two solid nodules (under 2 cm, one in each lobe) and a 3rd nodule "in the upper pole." Thyroglobulin blood test abnormal. Hoarse voice. Had thyroid scan today. Internist felt growth 3 wks ago which prompted ultrasound. Internist suggests biopsies next at area diagnostic center. Earliest date available Oct. 10. Is this good advice or should I seek endocrinologist exam now? Am a 6 year uterine cancer survivor at an excellent, regional cancer center, which does very little with thyroid cancer. What are the top centers for thyroid cancer? What would you recommend doing in my situation?

Answer: I had tumors on my thyroid and had it removed when I was seven years old. I would definitely talk to an endocrinologist, if I were you. No matter whether the advice you were given was good or not, the endocrinologist will know what is best for you. Baylor in Dallas is an excellent hospital. They've done all of my thyroid related surgeries.

Question: What is the best hospital to treat Thyroid cancer in india? My sister recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer and we are looking for a good doctor and hospital as well. Please advise. Thanks

Answer: start looking in new delhi.all the embassies are there so probably the hospitals as well.

Question: How long can someone live who is diagnosed with thyroid cancer? I have a dear friend diagnosed with papillary cancer of the thyroid. She had a surgery already and will undergo other treatments in the future. My friend is still in her early 30's and has children. She is a very optimistic gal and lives life to the fullest. But somehow, I am concerned for her. I don't know how long she will have to live (as in the case of other cancer patients) and would want to spend more qualtiy time with her and make up for the times that were lost. Also, I learned from my friend recently that the cancer cells had spread to her lymph nodes.

Answer: It is very difficult to say without more specific information. Often surgery can remove all the cancer and future treatment often relates to level of the thyroid hormones which are reduced due to the thyroid having been removed. Your friends post operative appointment would discuss all of this with her. She will also have had tests to see if the cancer had spread. By the sound of things her optimistic outlook may have came from her follow up appointment. Maybe you should discuss your concerns with her. This may reassure you. Best wishes to you both.

Question: Which is the place to get treatment for papillary thyroid cancer in India? Hello, I am male, 30 years old. Which is the place to get treatment for papillary thyroid cancer in India and How much it cost? Kindly Reply, Cancer Fighter.

Answer: I don't have an answer, but I do have a site with more info and maybe they can help. www.thyca.org (thyroid cancer survivors for america)

Question: what are the next steps in papillary thyroid cancer reoccurance? i had papillary thyroid cancer 2 years ago. it was removed with a total thyroidectomy. i had radioactive iodine treatment after surgery and i've been tested here and there since. i just had a routine ultrasound where they found a suspicious lymph node. i'm scheduled for a FNA (fine needle) my question is, if the results come back positive for a reoccurance, what will ne my next step? more surgery? more RAI? chemo?

Answer: When I had a recurrence in my lymph nodes I did a low dose RAI followed by a body scan to see where it traveled to and since it was only in 4 of my lymph nodes they removed 11 and then I went off my meds for awhile did another small dose body scan followed by a high dose RAI and body scan but im sure every doctor does things different but that was my experience with it and now I am cancer free again. I dont think chemo is the treatment of choice because the iodine is move effective on the thyroid and its safer i believe

Question: Why would you face go numb after the radioactive treatment for thyroid cancer? My girlfriend just did the radioactive iodine treatment for her thyroid cancer and now about 5 days later her left side of her face has gone numb. She called her doctor and mad an appointment but that isnt for 2 days. What is going on and what can she do to make her face not be numb until she goes to the doctors because she is really freaking out.

Answer: I don't know if its the treatment or coincidence, but there's a nerve that runs through the opening in your jaw. If that swells for whatever reason, your face on that side will go numb. It's called Bell's Palsy. I had it years ago from a drafty window when I lived up north. I was on prednisone, which took the swelling away.

Question: Can you get thyroid cancer from having hypothyroidism? Yeah, the question pretty much sums it up. I have hypothyroidism and saw a piece on the news about how Roger Ebert had thyroid cancer and it freaked me out, so I thought I'd ask. Thanks!

Answer: It depends. But i'm sure you cant.

Question: What are the chances I have thyroid cancer? I know there is a 5% chance of cancer if only a nodule is found. BUT I have been having unknown health problems for 4 years. They found my thyroid level to be pretty low. The nodule was mostly solid and the ultrasound couldnt rule cancer out. I didnt see anything about hot or cold. The specialist said he cant see me for 2 months. Ofcourse I am not going to wait that long. Does it seem like my chances are higher than 5%?

Answer: I guess it is hard to tell, unless I know more about you, but I will try my best to give you some risk factors so you can have a general idea. Risk factor for thyroid cancer can generally divided intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic risk factors are woman, elderly, and family history of thyroid cancer like MEN syndrome, FAP, etc. Extrinsic risk factors are diet low in iodide, prior radiation But the only way to be sure is to do a Fine needle aspiration. (For some time, like follicular cancer, an excisional biopsy is needed) Hope that helps. Good luck

Question: Does calcification in thyroid nodules mean you have cancer? Ok so I had a thyroid biopsy done because there were multiple nodules found in my thyroid. I was told they are about 2 cm, (the 2 largest ones) The tech and the doctor that was performing the biopsy they said that I had calcification in the nodules, from what I saw the calcification was a little less than half the size of the actual nodule. Now does this indicate thyroid cancer?

Answer: Actually, calcified nodules of the thyroid account for only about 5% or so of thyroid cancers in general. What needs to be done at this point is have the pathologist take a look at them to be sure. A thyroid uptake scan is usually done BEFORE any biopsy would be done -- typically looking for what are termed "cold nodules." These are suspicious for cancer. Best of luck to you!

Question: what are the alternative medicine for thyroid cancer? I have a papillary carcinoma,or a type of thyroid cancer does anyone know any diet or alternative medicine for this?

Answer: Chemo is not usually an option for thyroid cancer. Radioactive I131 is administered a few months after your thyroid is removed. The thyroid gland takes up iodine and so do the cancer cells. So by having treatment with I131 you will be killing the remaining cells, The benefits of treatment outweigh the side effects as there are few with I131. As for diet, the is no alternative for thyroid cancer but there is a diet you need to go on before scans and treatments called the Low Iodine Diet. Here is a site that can help you listed below

Question: Thyroid Cancer? I have been told there is a chance that I have thyroid cancer. I will be meeting with a specialist at the end of the month to determine what will be happening next. I guess my questions are many: 1) What are good resources on the net to find out more? I figure Web MD would have good info - anything any better and more specific? 2) What are the options? I know every case is different, but is there anyway I can know what I am facing - so that I know what kind of questions to ask once I meet with the doctor? 3) What chances are that it could spread? Where could it spread to, and what other symptoms would I be looking for? (I've been told that the tests for my thyroid are normal, but I know I have had a large thyroid for almost 20 some years now. But this is the first it has hurt like this in a long time - I have the raspy voice from time to time, and can feel extremely fatigued with a temp) Any info anyone can give either here or by email would be aprpeciated.

Answer: I was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer 5 years ago. First I'll answer your questions. 1-Best resource for thyroid cancer is www.thyca.org. 2-There aren't too many options. Once diagnosed with thyroid cancer, you must have surgery to completely remove your thyroid gland. This is called a total thyroidectomy. Afterwards, you will have to take a pill everyday for the rest of your life. After surgery, most people will have RAI. That stands for radioactive iodine. Thyroid glands suck up iodiine. So the radioactive iodine goes in and "kills" any remaining thyroid tissue or cancer tissue. It's taken in the form of a pill. The radioactive isotope is called I-131. Some doctors will say that surgery is enough. But the RAI really is what goes in as the "cleanup crew" to kill any remaining cancer. 3-Thyroid cancer is a very slow spreading cancer (usually). If it spreads, it's usually to the lymph nodes nearby. Some very rare thyroid cancers can spread to the lungs or brain but usually it's slow. Most thyroid cancers are very treatable and some would even say it's curable. First step for you will be an ultrasound of your thyroid. Next would be a biopsy which is called a Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA). A needle is inserted through your neck, into your thyroid, and cells are removed. Sounds painful but it's not. Takes less than a minute and feels like a pinch. If the results come back as cancer, you'll have the surgery and about 2 months after surgery you'll have the RAI. Best of luck to you. The thyca website is really wonderful. Regards, mari

Question: My twin sister was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Am I at a high risk of getting it too? She just had surgery (complete thyroidectomy) to remove the cancer cells and will have to get yearly x-rays to ensure the cancer doesn't return. I know that thyroid cancer is hereditary, but as her fraternal twin, am I more susceptible to it? I'm wondering if I should go get x-rayed. I really don't want to unless I absolutely have to.

Answer: There is a thought that thyroid disease is hereditary and there is a genetic link. HOWEVER, it doesn't mean that you will develop the same cancer or disease as your twin. You may be at higher risk of developing thyroid disease... but that remains to be seen. If you are worried about it, talk to your doctor about your concerns. If you start to develop some signs of possible thyroid disfunction have it checked and dealt with immediately. I have send a link for you to do some research about the thyroid and the endocrine system. Best of luck....

Question: Is there any way to reduce side effects of external Radiation for Thyroid cancer? My mother has Anaplastic Thyroid cancer. She has already started treatement for external radiation (one week is over and still 5 more weeks to go) Is there any way to reduce side effects of external Radiation for

Answer: Not really. You just have to treat the side effects as they come up. Her doctor should be examining her about once a week during treatment. He should be able to give her something for whatever bothers her during treatment. I had a huge radiation sore throat and also got shingles. But they were right on it with some treatment. Best wishes

Question: Has anyone any information about Thyroid cancer in dogs? My 7 year old dog had a tumour removed 11 months ago, the vet said it was thyroid carcinoma and tests showed it is aggressive, however he said that as it is rare in dogs he could offer no prognosis. I know ther is no treatment available. Has anyone had a dog with thyroid cancer? What happened to them? So far my dog is happy and 'healthy' and shows no signs that anything is wrong. I would like to know what signs that I should look out for in the future, and what to prepare myself for.

Answer: My Sheltie had it when she was 9 years old, I felt the lump and took her in they removed it the next day. I was told that she needed radiation as well. After she came home I took her to another vet for the treatment. They wanted to do a series of treatment, but it made her so sick, I did some research only to find that with it or without it she had at best 6 months to live. So I didn't take her back and just went to a health food store and got what they told me was best for Thyroid Carcinoma. Well, my sweet Tasha lived to be 17and half years old to the day. So she lived 8 more years than I was told. To this day I don't know if it was the one treatment of the radiation or the supplements that saved her, all I know is that she was a born again Sheltie even her color came back, she was a Tri Color (Black,White & Tan) and she never got grey hairs after that. If anything she looked much younger than she was. So that's my experience with it and I hope it helps in some way. Just love your dog everyday that you have together, that's what I did. All the best;^)

Question: Can you get thyroid cancer from tanning every two weeks? or at least almost get thyroid cancer? My mom used to go tanning every two weeks and now she *might* have thyroid cancer. please! if anyone has an idea on it tell me!

Answer: going every two weeks probably didnt cause the cancer but you never know, cuz tanning in general can potentially cause all sorts of cancer, but most likely there was an underlying condition that just flared up because of the tanning or could be a matter of genetics. It's really hard to tell. There are people who go tanning ever day and dont develop cancer. Its really dependent upon ones own immune response

Question: Question about the aftermath of thyroid cancer? I had my thyroid removed completely in Jan 2007 because of papillary thyroid cancer. I now have to be on Levothroid for the rest of my life. 250mg a day. My problem is that I forget to take it all the time. I don't know why, but I just do. I've tried alarms, notes, ect. Any ideas on what I could do to help me remember? And does anyone know the long-term effects of forgetting to take this drug?

Answer: Forgetting the drug lets you get more dull and forgetful and put on weight. I had to start because of progressive thyroid deterioration and I will tell you that after the first dose it was like the sun came out for me. I take mine first thing in the morning from a little seven day set of boxes. You should take it with water but not food. [Then I leave the top of that day's box open to remind me of other stuff with breakfast.] I wait 40 minutes before starting to prepare breakfast. It's part of my morning routine now.