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Vision & pain in kidney area
I have had surgery twice in the last year for thyroid cancer. After my 2nd surgery in December, 2007, my doctor advised that if the last mass removed wasn't cancer then it had spread somewhere else and I needed futher testing. My thyroglobin is 3.5 (not sure what that means but it is what the dr wants lowered). What level does thryoglobin need to be to be cancer free. PET scan didn't reveal anything in August of 07. Is he searching for a needle in a haystack? Vision has changed a lot siince December and I'm having pain in my side. Anyone have a clue what I should be looking for?
What type of thyroid cancer? Did you have followup radiation (I-131 or RAI)?
The thyrogen level in post-cancer treatment patients should be <.2 and the TSH should be <.1. Those are the levels that help suppress any further cancer growth. Any increase in those levels after being on stable thyroid meds means a recurrence.
PET scans don't pick up thyroid cancers (at least papillary or follicular) well. Those cancers absorb iodine which is why they do RAI (radioactive iodine or I-131) scans. Often those cancers (especially papillary) spread through microcancers which would be too small to visualize on a PET scan. PET scans also use a radiated version of glucose which most active cancers will absorb but, like I said, radioactive iodine is a much better indicator on thyroid cancers.
Talk to your doctor about an I-131 scan. Are you being treated by an oncologist or endocrinologist?
The thyrogen level in post-cancer treatment patients should be <.2 and the TSH should be <.1. Those are the levels that help suppress any further cancer growth. Any increase in those levels after being on stable thyroid meds means a recurrence.
PET scans don't pick up thyroid cancers (at least papillary or follicular) well. Those cancers absorb iodine which is why they do RAI (radioactive iodine or I-131) scans. Often those cancers (especially papillary) spread through microcancers which would be too small to visualize on a PET scan. PET scans also use a radiated version of glucose which most active cancers will absorb but, like I said, radioactive iodine is a much better indicator on thyroid cancers.
Talk to your doctor about an I-131 scan. Are you being treated by an oncologist or endocrinologist?
In response to the post by Tammyinal, do you mean thyroglobulin level not thyrogen level?
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