Question regarding Thyroid Cancer

[hypo/hyper]

I have been posting on here about my symptoms/situation will nodules/thyroiditis etc.  All of my problems, in discussing with my mom and my sister, got us comparing, and my sister admitted to having the very same/similar symptoms for years.  She has been diagnosed with a variety of things, anxiety, panic disorder, seizure disorder (this one she doesn't believe), depression, etc.  the list goes on.  The more we talked, she started saying how her throat has bothered her, and her voice was hoarse.  Then I felt her neck.  Her thyroid was larger than mine on the opposite side (almost golf ball sized).  I prompted her to get checked out.  Her doctor has been checking her TSH yearly with no abnormal findings, though just the TSH, nothing else.  Well, they ultrasounded her, and found a solitary nodule in the left side.  (I am unsure of size)  With her RAI scan, it showed that she has a cold nodule.  NO thyroiditis, but the thyroid is only enlarged AROUND the nodule itself.  We are all pretty scared about this right now.  She goes for biopsy in March.  I am fully aware of the fact that no one knows what is going on inside the nodule until it is biopsied/removed and sent through pathology.  However this all does not sound good to me.  Has anyone had any similar experiences with the nodule/thyroid presentation?

[harleykids]

I would like to start my thread by telling you I hope all will be fine with your sister and that this is just my story.  Last spring (April) I found a lump in my throat and went through the usual tests....ultrasound...finding solitary large nodule on right side with several other smaller nodules developing on both sides, radioactive iodine uptake test to determine cold or hot(turned out cold) then a Fine Needle Biopsy in July which results came back inconclusive.  During this time I felt the nodule growing and it started to interfere with my swallowing, coughing more and breathing difficulties at nighttime.  My voice had become hoarse as well as the feeling I had something stuck in my throat.  Due to all these factors my thyroid surgeon booked a hemithyroidectomy (half of thyroid removed) for Nov.30, 06.  My wonderful surgeon who did a fantastic job told me the mass was 4.5 cm. by 2.5 cm and pathology came back Dec.19 with Papillary cancer.  As a result I now go back tomorrow to have the rest of the thyroid removed and then RAI treatment in April to kill off any remaining cells.  
I was told by my surgeon that it was only a 10% chance that the nodule could be cancerous even after discovering it was cold which basically indicates most nodules are benign.
I wish your sister and you the best in the coming months.  It sure isn't a quick process but I have nothing but positive words for my surgeon and endocrinologist thus far.  I meet with the nuclear medicine doc in a few weeks to talk further about the RAI so hopefully I can add him to the list too!
This board is a wealth of information and experience and has helped me alot in the last few weeks of just listening to other stories.
Good luck!

[venora]

I am saying prayers for you and your sister.I dont put much faith in FNA's.Alot of us here on this forum have had them with benign or inconclusive readings and then had the cancer found after the surgery.

I am glad to have mine out and I would say as friend to get yours and your sisters out too.Its the only way to be sure if it is cancer or not.

Love Venora.

[ChitChatNine]

Your story is one with lots of unanswered ?'s .. sorry to hear all she is going thru.  I don't know if my orig. nodules were hot or cold as we didn't do the testing bcz they FNA'd Atypical.  Bottom line was that I had a goiter in addition to the nodules and the nodules were totally benign upon biopsy but they found two smaller areas of pap cancer in the gland elsewhere .. very small .. I would definitely have the other side out as you are doing tomorrow and wish you well ... your mass was very big .. ahhhhh so much going on for you.

C~

[tiredpuppy]

hey sis
I am sorry to hear that you and now your sister have the bump! FNA's can be totally wrong. Mine said 4cm left lobe follicular pap. ca but turned out to be hurthle cell ca  so like everyone says its okay to have the FNA but don't believe for sure. Surgery is the only conclusive way to know for sure. My tt is healing well now I go to endo on monday for my 1st meds and labs to follow so best to you and hope it works out and at least you have each other to commisserate with. God bless
Lisa

[azqtpies]

THEY ARE VERY COMMON. I HAD A COLD 3.0 CM NODULE REMOVED 1 MONTH AGO HAD IT FOR OVER TWO YEARS B4 REMOVED.. IT WAS COMING VBACK SUSPICIOUS.. BUT IT ALL CAME BACK BENIGN IN THE END. ISTIL HAVE ALEFT COLD NODULE WITH A CYST. AND IT IS BENIGN. THESE ARE SO VERY COMMON AND GOOD CHANCE IT IS A BENIGN GROWTH 85% OF THEM ARE BENIGN =) OH YEAH.. MY LABS WERE ALWAYS NORMAL TOO!

SHE WILL BE GREAT .. NO NEED TO PANIC WITH THIS.. JUST KEEP ON IT AND BE PROACTIVE...

K

[utahmomma]

My nodule was solitary, complex and small.  I didn't have a FNA because I didn't put much faith in it and wasn't offered an uptake scan.  I followed my gut instinct and it was papillary carcinoma.  Similar story with my sisters - three with papillary carcinoma (two of them had FNAs which were negative for cancer) and the other had pre-cancer.  None of us had abnormal TSHs (but everyone else was found to have Hashimoto's *after* surgery since antibodies weren't run before).

Papillary carcinoma is the most treatable and curable cancer - DO NOT PANIC.  Statistics show that between 85% and 95% (depending on your source) of thyroid nodules are BENIGN.  Take deep breaths, cancer or not this is very doable!

Besides, you can turn her onto the greatest support system in the world - this forum!  :-)