Aa
Substernal thyroid mass
I had a thyroidectomy about 28 years ago. I had a nonmalignant growth. The doctors left a small part of my thyroid and I never needed medication in all those years. About 3 years ago, they discovered a large mass in my chest. On further testing, including an ultrasound biopsy, they determined that it was not malignant and had thyroid tissue in it. It did not show any tissue connecting to my remaining thyroid. It was about 6.4 x 6 cm. and it is pushing my trachea aside. My endocronologist decided to just do CT scans every 6 months and put me on thyroid medication. I started having some heart problems (PSVT) and he was afraid to increase it. I would hate to have surgery unless it was indicated. However, everything I have read about it, says that surgery is the only way to take care of it because of the possibility of it growing quickly and causing some severe breathing difficulties. Should I bring this up with my doctor or get another opinion? I don't want to seem to WANT surgery, because I don't do surgeries well!
You've attached your post to a thread that is so old that I doubt that the other posters are even monitoring the Forum anymore. You will get lots more notice and response if you start your own thread, by clicking on the orange Post a Question button at top of page, and re-posting your questions.
By the way, the Forum will not allow email addresses to be posted. Your questions will be answered on your own thread. That way all the information is available in one place, to help members best respond.
By the way, the Forum will not allow email addresses to be posted. Your questions will be answered on your own thread. That way all the information is available in one place, to help members best respond.
I was recently diagonosed with a substernal thyroid mass, and might have to undergo surgery what else can you tell me about this condition. how long were you in the hospital? when i eat food is hard to go down and stay down. is it possible for you to e-mail me and give more information. ***@****.
I had a substernal thyroid mass removed about 3 years ago and I did super!! I had it done in Denver @ PSL. I seen about 10 doctors in the Denver/Aurora, Colorado area for over a year before I found ONE D.O. that would listen to me. I kept asking if my lack of energy was due to hypothyroidism and I even offered to give samples of my blood to do a TSH, T3 & T4 but not one doctor would test my blood. Once the D.O. did a blood test, a MRI and a CT scan, he found a substernal thryoid mass sitting in my chest cavity. I was told it was sitting on or near main arteries to my heart and my brain. After having the MRI I was told also that the mass was huge and had to come ASAP but it took another month or so to find a surgeon that would operate on me at that time.
When I met with the surgeon he told me that my trachea was compressed and he did not how I could even breathe at that time. My espophagus was not midline as it was supposed to be-it had been pushed over to the side of my throat.
To make a long story short...I did have the surgery and all went well. I had a needle biopsy of my thyroid first before I had surgery to make sure there was no malignancy in my thyroid. I had a total thyroidectomy and the surgeon removed the mass that was sitting in my chest cavity. The surgery took about 45 minutes and I was never so happy to get it all over with. I take Armour thyroid pills now because after my thyroidectomy a endrocronologist prescribed Synthyroid but I was gaining 8 lbs/month on the meds. After gaining about 40 lbs I insisted that I be taken off the Synthyroid and put on Armour pills instead. (Armour is ground up pig thyroid and Synthyroid is man made and not natural- I found this out by an oriental dr that practices taken all natural)
* Just to let you know my first dr thought I was having heart problems in the beginning. He sent me for a cardiologist where I had every kind of possible test run on me to check my heart and it was fine. (the mass was sitting on nerves to my heart I was told later)
If you would like to discuss this or if I can be of any help, just e mail me at ***@****
Good luck to you and the sooner you get that mass out-----THE BETTER...I know from experience. I thought I was going to die before they got mine out but I am still here!!
Take care and God bless you,
E in Ok
When I met with the surgeon he told me that my trachea was compressed and he did not how I could even breathe at that time. My espophagus was not midline as it was supposed to be-it had been pushed over to the side of my throat.
To make a long story short...I did have the surgery and all went well. I had a needle biopsy of my thyroid first before I had surgery to make sure there was no malignancy in my thyroid. I had a total thyroidectomy and the surgeon removed the mass that was sitting in my chest cavity. The surgery took about 45 minutes and I was never so happy to get it all over with. I take Armour thyroid pills now because after my thyroidectomy a endrocronologist prescribed Synthyroid but I was gaining 8 lbs/month on the meds. After gaining about 40 lbs I insisted that I be taken off the Synthyroid and put on Armour pills instead. (Armour is ground up pig thyroid and Synthyroid is man made and not natural- I found this out by an oriental dr that practices taken all natural)
* Just to let you know my first dr thought I was having heart problems in the beginning. He sent me for a cardiologist where I had every kind of possible test run on me to check my heart and it was fine. (the mass was sitting on nerves to my heart I was told later)
If you would like to discuss this or if I can be of any help, just e mail me at ***@****
Good luck to you and the sooner you get that mass out-----THE BETTER...I know from experience. I thought I was going to die before they got mine out but I am still here!!
Take care and God bless you,
E in Ok
Dear Venora,
Thank you for your encouragement and sharing your story. Right now, the endo is doing a CT scan every 6 months. He isn't recommending surgery yet, since no cancer was detected. Also, I haven't pushed it. I like the idea of building up my immune system. We have been in and out of town so much, I guess I look at the surgery as a big inconvenience! We have had 2 grandchildren since this diagnosis and travel to FL to see them quite a bit. My youngest, Hannah, is 8 months. She was born with fibula hemimelia and is missing her right foot and lower leg. She, also, has the condition in the left leg. She is missing most of her fibula in that leg. They will try a couple of things with it first...we pray they won't have to amputate it, but they said that is a possibility. So...her surgery to prepare the right leg for a prosthesis will be coming up soon and the follow-up and other surgeries. This has been uppermost in my mind and I want to be able to help out as much as possible. So...I'm taking the doctor's advice right now and praying that I don't have any serious difficulties for a while! Please keep little Hannah in your prayers!
Love,
Glenda
Thank you for your encouragement and sharing your story. Right now, the endo is doing a CT scan every 6 months. He isn't recommending surgery yet, since no cancer was detected. Also, I haven't pushed it. I like the idea of building up my immune system. We have been in and out of town so much, I guess I look at the surgery as a big inconvenience! We have had 2 grandchildren since this diagnosis and travel to FL to see them quite a bit. My youngest, Hannah, is 8 months. She was born with fibula hemimelia and is missing her right foot and lower leg. She, also, has the condition in the left leg. She is missing most of her fibula in that leg. They will try a couple of things with it first...we pray they won't have to amputate it, but they said that is a possibility. So...her surgery to prepare the right leg for a prosthesis will be coming up soon and the follow-up and other surgeries. This has been uppermost in my mind and I want to be able to help out as much as possible. So...I'm taking the doctor's advice right now and praying that I don't have any serious difficulties for a while! Please keep little Hannah in your prayers!
Love,
Glenda
Ok this is the third time I am going to try to answer. I think my wifi has been possed everytime I try to post .LOL!!
May 06 had goiter surgery the regular way. During surgery is when they found that ity had grown sub sternal as well.They didnt have a heart doc to open me up and it was too big to pull through the reg incision. I am rather glad because that was before I found medhelp and I think I would have totally freaked if I had woke up to find my sternum cut as well as the reg incision.
Sept 06 I had the substernal part taken out.
Thats the one with the cancer in it So I am glad the thing came out.
They can do lots of sub sternals through the reg incision. if it were me I would try to go that route before it gets any bigger. I am pretty sure it will get bigger.
it is almost 2 years since the surgery and I fell 100% finally. My job as a jet engine mechanic is very physical so I stayed on light duty for almost a year. It would hurt to torque or break torque on bolts and vacuuming hurt for the longest time ( darn had to have hubby do it Hehe)
Now I am good . I take lots of calcium and consume lots of dairy products like yourt and cottatge cheese. I started doing this agressivly after my surgeery so the bone could heal back fast. I also take all the anti oxidents, omegas. echinacea.
If I had to do it over I would aggressivly build up my immune system and be as healthy as possible beore the surgery and do the same after waslike I did to heal fast
Keep in touch and let me know what you decide. If you decide on the surgery I can go into more detalis for you.
Love Venora
May 06 had goiter surgery the regular way. During surgery is when they found that ity had grown sub sternal as well.They didnt have a heart doc to open me up and it was too big to pull through the reg incision. I am rather glad because that was before I found medhelp and I think I would have totally freaked if I had woke up to find my sternum cut as well as the reg incision.
Sept 06 I had the substernal part taken out.
Thats the one with the cancer in it So I am glad the thing came out.
They can do lots of sub sternals through the reg incision. if it were me I would try to go that route before it gets any bigger. I am pretty sure it will get bigger.
it is almost 2 years since the surgery and I fell 100% finally. My job as a jet engine mechanic is very physical so I stayed on light duty for almost a year. It would hurt to torque or break torque on bolts and vacuuming hurt for the longest time ( darn had to have hubby do it Hehe)
Now I am good . I take lots of calcium and consume lots of dairy products like yourt and cottatge cheese. I started doing this agressivly after my surgeery so the bone could heal back fast. I also take all the anti oxidents, omegas. echinacea.
If I had to do it over I would aggressivly build up my immune system and be as healthy as possible beore the surgery and do the same after waslike I did to heal fast
Keep in touch and let me know what you decide. If you decide on the surgery I can go into more detalis for you.
Love Venora
Dear Venora,
Thank you for your response. I don't know anyone else who has had a substernal thyroid mass. At first, they thought that I had cancer and were scheduling tests constantly. When they found out there was thyroid tissue in it, it was like...OH..OK. When I went to the endocrinologist, I thought that they would do the best thing. I started doing research and found out that the only treatment is really surgery. My doctor is keeping an eye on it...he said there's only a 10 percent chance that the medicine would help. I hate to encourage surgery, but what if it decides to have a growing spurt and I have a major problem! My next appointment is in October so I'm going to discuss it with him. How are you feeling now? Could you tell any difference? They think that it's the cause of my heart problem (never had before) and possibly high blood pressure (never had before).
Love,
Glenda
Thank you for your response. I don't know anyone else who has had a substernal thyroid mass. At first, they thought that I had cancer and were scheduling tests constantly. When they found out there was thyroid tissue in it, it was like...OH..OK. When I went to the endocrinologist, I thought that they would do the best thing. I started doing research and found out that the only treatment is really surgery. My doctor is keeping an eye on it...he said there's only a 10 percent chance that the medicine would help. I hate to encourage surgery, but what if it decides to have a growing spurt and I have a major problem! My next appointment is in October so I'm going to discuss it with him. How are you feeling now? Could you tell any difference? They think that it's the cause of my heart problem (never had before) and possibly high blood pressure (never had before).
Love,
Glenda
I had a sub sternal goiter and it was pressing both my trachea and esophagus
Food got stuck all the time and I couldnt take my vitamins and meds without cutting them up
. I elected for surgery and it just happened to have papillary cancer in the thing.I dont see how it could have been detected without taking it out.
I dont mean to alarm you but after 2 RAI now I would still elect to have the surgery and get the thing out cancer or no.And if it hadnt been for the surgeon doing a breast lump biopsy noticing my thyroid being swollen I would have never known I had a sub sternal goiteras my reg doc pretty much blew me off by telling me to loose weight ,quit smoking and drink more water when I complained of my symptoms to him
Well since there arent too amny sub sternals I just wated to share my expereince.Hopefully this will help you make an informed choice of what you decide decide you want to do
Do gewt a second opinon and read up on as much info as you can on sub sternal goiters.Knowlege is power.If you want to talk any more about the surgery itself or anything.just message me ok.
Love Venora
Food got stuck all the time and I couldnt take my vitamins and meds without cutting them up
. I elected for surgery and it just happened to have papillary cancer in the thing.I dont see how it could have been detected without taking it out.
I dont mean to alarm you but after 2 RAI now I would still elect to have the surgery and get the thing out cancer or no.And if it hadnt been for the surgeon doing a breast lump biopsy noticing my thyroid being swollen I would have never known I had a sub sternal goiteras my reg doc pretty much blew me off by telling me to loose weight ,quit smoking and drink more water when I complained of my symptoms to him
Well since there arent too amny sub sternals I just wated to share my expereince.Hopefully this will help you make an informed choice of what you decide decide you want to do
Do gewt a second opinon and read up on as much info as you can on sub sternal goiters.Knowlege is power.If you want to talk any more about the surgery itself or anything.just message me ok.
Love Venora
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Thyroid Disorders Community
We tapped the CDC for information on what you need to know about radiation exposure
Endocrinologist Mark Lupo, MD, answers 10 questions about thyroid disorders and how to treat them
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
