Can Thyroid Papillary Cancers be seen on ultrasound?

[jeblondon]

I realise it seems a daft question but one that I am worried about.  I had PT to remove a fairly large 'suspicious' nodule on the right side of my thyroid.  The Nodule turned out to be benign but papillary carcinoma found during biopsy in the thyroid itself. This was described as an 'incidental finding' and as it was very small 'micro'.  I have been told I need no further treatment other than this ultrasound scan tomorrow and then future 'monitoring'.
It seems crazy to me that - 1 - only the left side of my thyroid was ever looked at during the previous ultra sound, (back in November). and 2 - if they didn't see a mpc on the first scan even though it was there, why look now at the remaining side?  I mean, if there are no further small nodules what can the ultrasound actually tell them?
Has anyone had an ultrasound where they picked up anything other than nodules/goiters?
Can they tell from an u/sound if there might be anything suspicious in the thyroid? Can thyroid cancers be seen on ultrasound?
I am delighted to be going for this scan but am worried that if they say 'nope, no nodules - off you go', is that it?  Can I trust that as they didn't know the first mpc was there what if there's another on the other side?
I have been fairly chilled for the past week but now that I am back to the clinic tomorrow all my worries are surfacing again.
Thank you so much for any input you may have.
J x

[ChitChatNine]

I asked the same ? and my surgeon was silent for 20 secs.  He then responded, "no I would have left the other side intact".   ????   And this is a man who had a TT as a teenager..... not sure if he was covering his butt or telling the truth ?

C~

[jeblondon]

Thanks for that!  I know - very bizarre they did only one side on the original ultrasound.  I was so un-fazed at the time, having been told that it was a 'very common thing, nothing to worry about blah blah.....' I didn't really pay much attention at the first appointment.  It was only when they decided to to do the FNA that I began to sit up and take notice and of course by then I assumed that they had done both sides.
Anyway, I like your way of looking at it that  it can come out at any time - that is more or lesss the advice I believe I am being given.  As I said, they will 'monitor' me.
It is such a hard decision whether to go ahead and take the whole thing out.  One of the questions I am going to ask the surgeon is 'if you had known that this 'incidental' cancer you found, albeit so small, was there behind the nodule, would you have taken out the whole thing just in case there was more on the other lobe'?  see what he has to say about that!
ps. have just received the book 'The Thyroid Solution' from amazon today and already I cannot put it down!
J x

[ChitChatNine]

I must admit I've been at this decision process since Jan 07 and today it is May 08 .. I am 80% comfortable with my final decision to keep the other side in for now .. I go ev. 6mos for serial ultasounds which compare prior pics.

What keeps me grounded is that I know that at any moment I say 'take it out' and "out it comes' .. that is what gives me the peace for the remaining 20% that I wrestle every few weeks when I choose to think about it.

C~

[ChitChatNine]

I don't have very encouraging news in direct answer to your ? ... Mine were not seen and I had both sides done in October 2006.  It was only after final biopsy two were found.  

But on the flip side/good news:  THEY WERE SO SMALL pap cancer called microcarinomas and deep in the gland that is why they didn't show up.  So that is where I wrestled for 3 mos deciding what to do with the intact side.  I do have a known 3-4.0mm nodule on the intact side .. but it resembles my adeonomas (overgrowth of thy tissue) just like the orig. two taken out in Jan 07 on the other side which were not cancer.

I am sorry they only did one half on u/s .. how bizarre?

I was told 30% of the time cells travel thru the isthmus .. this, I believe was from Dr. Lupo on the Dr. forum when I asked his opinion.  He suggested in my case a TT and RAI.
4 others suggested to keep the other side in.

I had no lymph node involvement and fully encapsulated and clear to the margin and the other 2 which were about 2.0cm's ea. were not cancer at all.

The ones they removed that were pap ca were tiny ... below 6.0mm's ea. but were tumors and gaveme a diagnosis of Cancer.

Keep us posted!!!!!!

I am so glad you are having this add'l workup.. YOU deserve only the best!

C~

[898]

On my profile I posted a sample how the thyroid carcinoma looks on the ultrasound