Thyroid Cancer

[KerryL121]

Hi everyone,

Im hoping someone can help me. I had an MRI Scan on my neck for something else and they have found an incidental finding of a complex cystic nodule on my thyroid gland. I have seen on my referral to head and neck that the radiologist has reported that it has sinister pathology such as papillary carcinoma. I am now panicking! Has anyone been in this situation before and what was your outcome?

Thanks in advance

I had thyroid cancer in my mid-20s. I’m in my 50s now.

it wasn’t a fun time, but as far as cancer goes, it wasn’t so bad. My understanding is the treatment is much easier now than it was when I had it. The worst part was having to get my tsh above 100 naturally. The consequences of that are horrific and painful, but now they do it artificially.

I had some complications and lost my parathyroid glands too. That had bigger consequences than anything with my thyroid. It’s still a very manageable situation.

it’s still cancer and it sucks. There is no getting around that. If you have to have cancer, it’s one of the better ones to have. It’s rare that it’s fatal. It’s still a mind fuck, especially if you are young, but you get over it.

I had papillary carcinoma 15 years ago. It was completely self contained and once removed together with most of my thyroid gland, that was it. I’m on levothyroxine for life which replaces the natural thyroid function. I had annual checks for about 10 years but nothing further.

Thank you both for your replies, can I ask whether you had any symptoms before you were diagnosed? It’s reassuring that you have both had successful outcomes

My thyroid was growing and I didn’t feel well. My symptoms were not from the cancer. I also have hashimoto’s, a thyroid autoimmune condition. My
body was attacking my thyroid and causing all sorts of benign cysts and growths. Honestly, in a way the cancer was a relief because it meant they took the whole thyroid out and that solved many problems for me.

I haven’t had any symptoms but now I’m aware of it I feel like there’s a lump when I swallow. Thank you for sharing your experience. It’s good that removing the thyroid has helped many of your problems

I had a huge lump in my neck which had crept up on me over time. I’d just put it down to everywhere getting fatter and it changed so subtly over time, it wasn’t obvious it was a problem.

I have a friend who had thyroid cancer, decades ago. She had radioactive iodine, I seem to temember, and had to stay in hospital for a few days, but has had no further issues and went on to have kids.

I think the actress Sophia Vergara (Gloria, from Modern Family) had it when she was in her twenties too.

Thyroid cancer is one of the few cancers that it is possible to ‘cure’. Thyroid cells are the only cells in the body that use iodine, so they can give you an infusion of radioactive iodine and it is taken up by every thyroid cell in your body and then they all die…

Once you have had treatment, you will have to take a pill everyday for the rest of your life to replace the thyroid hormone that your thyroid gland normally makes for you, but that is pretty easy once they have worked out the right dose for you.

there are lots of online resources for this,

https://www.butterfly.org.uk

Thanks everyone, I’ve had a look at the butterfly website which was very informative,

I’ve just seen a copy of the MRI report and the radiologist states it strongly suggests papillary carcinoma. So I’m preparing myself for bad news when I see the consultant

As with everyone else my son had papillary thyroid cancer removed 10 years ago and other than taking daily thyroxine is absolutely fine