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Original poster

HAve a 5cm lump on mu thyroid and I'm so scared

25 replies

huffythethreadslayer · 29/09/2010 20:58

Have been referred to specialist, seeing him tomorrow, but I've tried so hard to be brave and hale and hearty for the child, but now I'm just scared. And I don't know what to do. I've read about it on the Cancer Research page and it says that lumps over 4 cms are classed as stage 3 cancer...that's not good.

I've been telling myself for days that it's probably not cancer, but now I'm not so sure.

I know I'm being silly...and it could still be nothing, but it's so big and nothing anywhere is telling me that this could still be a cyst or just a benign lump.

I just feel a bit sorry for myself...and couldn't really upset dh, who's in pieces about it all.

OP posts:

heymango · 29/09/2010 21:04

Nothing useful to say medically, but best of luck tomorrow - I hope that you get a good outcome.

Also, sorry, but have to send you a big hug x

mamalovesmojitos · 29/09/2010 21:09

oh huffy, please try not to worry. if at all possible. google is dangerous when you are worried about your health. it could be a hundred different things!

i know you will still be worried tonight but at least you can go and see your specialist tomorrow and go from what he/she tells you.

sending you my best wishes xx

nigglewiggle · 29/09/2010 21:14

My sister had a lump removed from her thyroid which was the size of a grapefruit and totally benign that was 10 years ago and she has been fine ever since.

Good luck and step away from Google!

Original poster

huffythethreadslayer · 29/09/2010 21:14

Thnx. Can't step away from Google. Need some reassurance...a lot of pages say it's only cancer in 5% of cases, so the odds are good. I really need to get a grip...

OP posts:

Original poster

huffythethreadslayer · 29/09/2010 21:15

Thanks nigglewiggle...that's what I was hoping for, I guess. someone who knew someone who'd had a larger growth and it had been found to be benign. I'm off to bed, I think, with Stephen Fry(the book, of course) and a mug of hot tea. Need to sort out my head for the school run tomorrow.

OP posts:

LadyBlaBlah · 29/09/2010 21:18

How scary for you. I really hope it goes OK - 5% is a good number so hold on to that for tonight. Hope you can get some sleep

usualsuspect · 29/09/2010 21:19

My mum had a large lump removed 40 years ago it was benign ..try not to worry ..good luck

hellymelly · 29/09/2010 21:26

My very close friend had a substantial lump removed when she was 29,and had a two year old son.It was a highly malignant growth,apparently linked to Chernobyl,and it had been mis-diagnosed by her rubbish GP who had told her she could see a lump because she had a "skinny neck".So all looking very worrying at the time,but she had a thyroidectomy,and lots of follow up injections of radioactive iodine to track cells,but no recurrence.She has been free for over ten years now (she is 46) and so has been given the all clear.Benign thyroid tumours are fairly common I think,but even malignant ones can have a positive outcome,I think the cure rate for thyroid cancer is pretty high.

mynewme · 29/09/2010 22:03

My friend had a similar sized lump in her thyroid last year - but was benign. Best of luck tomorrow.

flibbertigibbert · 29/09/2010 22:35

My mum has a lump on her thyroid which is benign. She's just waiting to get a date to have it removed. Hope tomorrow goes well

mamalovesmojitos · 30/09/2010 09:08

good luck today huffy.

loopylou6 · 30/09/2010 09:23

My Dad has a massive one on his thyroid too, hes been told its beneign

BrigitBigKnickers · 30/09/2010 09:33

My mum had a thyroid tumour about 15 years ago. Luckily it was benign but I do remember that she was told

they are rarely malignant and
if they are malignant they don't usually spread and are very easily cured.

Good luck today.

everyonesatit · 30/09/2010 09:36

My husband had a 2 inch lump removed 3 weeks ago from his thyroid. It was completely benign. I hope you have the same result, I know how worrying it can be.

Original poster

huffythethreadslayer · 30/09/2010 13:01

Thanks everyone. I was having a bit of a pity party yesterday, but am feeling much better today. I know it's likely to be a positive outcome...I just think your mind naturally goes to the dark places when you don't have much information on hand.

Anectdotal reports are exactly what I think I needed to make me feel better. Last night was dark, today, the sunshine has come back into my life, literally and metaphorically.

Seeing the specialist today, so I'm in the right hands. Today it's just about what comes next, which will give us something to think about other than the dark stuff too.

I'm generally quite upbeat, so I knew really I wouldn't be down for long, but believe me, you've all helped so much. Thank you....

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ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 30/09/2010 13:09

There are (IIRC) four types of thyroid cancer. One is really really easy to treat and cure and rarely recurs, one is really quite nasty, and then there are two others in the middle. I think the "nicest" two forms are overwhelmingly the most common.

My brother had thyroid cancer (one of the two better ones to get) twelve years ago and has been fine ever since. He had his thyroid removed so has been on thyroxine ever since, but that's been fine (barring the fact that his consultant had to pull rank on his GP to get the right dose prescribed). And he had an alarming-looking scar for a while (looked as though someone had tried to cut his head off but only got halfway) but you can't even see it now.

ballstoit · 30/09/2010 13:21

My Dad had a cancerous growth removed from his thyroid 12 years ago, when he was 54, it was the size of a large plum. Although the surgery was unpleasant he needed no further treatment and has made a complete recovery. Two years ago he was given the all clear and doesnt even have to have check ups any more, just takes Thyroxin twice a day and has quarterly blood tests to check his levels and adjust the dose.

It was terrifying at the time but he was booked in for the op a week after the biopsy and came home the day after his op. You cant even see the scar as it is in one of the wrinkles of his neck.

I dont know how old you are but I know they told my Dad he was young to have a malignant growth, the doctor expected it to be benign.Glad you're going today, the sooner you know what it is, the sooner you can be treated. Good luck x

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 30/09/2010 13:29

Oooh! And if you do get radiotherapy (they use radioactive iodine as it collects in your thyroid, so it targets the right area with very few side-effects) then you can do what my brother chickened out of doing -- you can tour Dungeness nuclear power station and as a big PR thing they wand you with a Geiger counter on your way out to show how you've spent an hour wandering around and are not even slightly radioactive so it must be safe. But they don't Geiger counter you on the way in, so I wanted him to go along on a tour (you're a bit radioactive for a week or two after the iodine treatment) and panic everyone, but he wouldn't. Bah.

Original poster

huffythethreadslayer · 30/09/2010 13:40

An desperate now to do the iodine thing and go to Dungeness. Would LOVE to cause a panic with the radioactivity LOL!

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Original poster

huffythethreadslayer · 30/09/2010 17:02

Specialist said it was more than probably a cyst, but I'm higher risk in terms of my age/sex. There's a 19 in 20 chance it'll be o.k. so though there's still a slight worry..it's only slight.

OP posts:

mamalovesmojitos · 30/09/2010 17:26

oh that's excellent news. what's the next step?

nigglewiggle · 30/09/2010 17:42

Sounds very good news to me.

misspollysdolly · 30/09/2010 19:18

Hello OP , Just wanted to say that my sister had and was successfully treated for thyroid cancer last year. Cannot promise to know all that much, but feel free to ask any questions and I'll see what I can answer for you. She is now completely cancer-free, regularly monitored and found the treatment manageable and not very unpleasant. Her doctors clearly gave her appropriate info, but said two things to her: 1. If you have to have any kind of cancer, thyroid is a pretty good one to get (because of the methods and ease of treating it) and 2. Do not - that's DO NOT - go searching for thyroid cancer stuff on the internet. Will happily try to answer questions, and as necessary refer them to my sis. BW MPD

Original poster

huffythethreadslayer · 30/09/2010 19:54

Thanks all. Next step is a fine needle biopsy on Wednesday next week, then another appointment with a consultant a week on Monday. By then they'll have the results from the biop and should be able to say what comes next.

It may have to be removed surgically for a full biopsy, the fine needle thing sometimes fails, but if that happens, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

The specialist said, even if it's the worst case scenario and it's cancer, it's treatable.

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ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 30/09/2010 20:30

Yes. My brother ignored his lump for a good two years before going to the doctor, hoping it would go away () and he was still fine. Most sorts of thyroid cancer (just not all of those you'll find if you Google) are very non-aggressive treatable.

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