thyroglobulin

[lolou]

My level was high 402 in 2005 no treatment and tsh in normal range this year but throid nodule detected a month now measuring 7mm what does that mean

[utahmomma]

No expert here but my endo told me that thyroglobulin measurements are primarily used as a cancer marker *after* they thyroid has been removed.  He said it is pretty useless to measure them in a patient with a thyroid but after TT (total thyroidectomy) for cancer it is a good way to determine recurrence.  That's how they found mine last year.

endocrine.com defines thyroglobulin as:  Thyroglobulin: A protein in the thyroid gland, a small amount of which gets into the blood. Its level is followed after thyroid surgery to detect recurrence of thyroid cancer.

It also goes on to say:  Thyroglobulin is not useful as a screen for initial diagnosis of thyroid cancer but is quite useful in follow up of well differentiated carcinoma (if a total thyroidectomy has been performed). A high serum thyroglobulin level that had previously been low following total thyroidectomy especially if gradually increased with TSH stimulation is virtually indicative of recurrence. A value of greater than 10 ng/ml is often associated with recurrence even if an iodine scan is negative.