Hi, I am not a nurse, but I did have thyroid cancer. If it is necessary, you may have radio-iodine treatment after your thryoid is removed. After this, they do a scan that will tell fairly accurately if there is any cancer anywhere, but the most common forms of thyroid cancer rarely spread outside the neck, so the odds are very much against it spreading elsewhere. For papillary thyroid cancer, it is something like 1%-4% that spread outside the neck.

And yeah, it is definitely usual not to speak with anybody for a long time. Because thyroid cancer is so rarely life-threatening, I think it often isn't treated as that big a deal by the doctors.

Hi my friend who is a little quiet on the matter says she has thyroid cancer the size of her thyroid and having trouble swallowing but isn’t being offered to have it removed due to other factors would…but I can’t understand how the doctors arnt treating it if it’s that big and causing issues is this normal 

Hello, and thanks for posting,

I can appreciate your concern for your friend.

Unfortunately, it is difficult for us to give a specific comment, not being involved directly with her current clinical care. There may be reasons for not instigating treatment at the moment, or her case may be being discussed with other doctors.

We have information on our website about thyroid cancer and its treatments. There are different cancer cell types of thyroid cancer, and treatments also depend on the stage (extent) of the cancer. Someone's overall health is also a consideration when doctors consider the risks involved, and how someone can cope with any taxing treatments. If her symptoms are becoming difficult, then encourage her to tell her doctor.

I am sorry that we cannot be of more help on this occasion. 

Please feel free to get back to us if you need any more information or support.  You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9 am till 5 pm Monday to Friday.

Yours sincerely,

Vanda

Hello, and thanks for posting,

I can appreciate your concern for your friend.

Unfortunately, it is difficult for us to give a specific comment, not being involved directly with her current clinical care. There may be reasons for not instigating treatment at the moment, or her case may be being discussed with other doctors.

We have information on our website about thyroid cancer and its treatments. There are different cancer cell types of thyroid cancer, and treatments also depend on the stage (extent) of the cancer. Someone's overall health is also a consideration when doctors consider the risks involved, and how someone can cope with any taxing treatments. If her symptoms are becoming difficult, then encourage her to tell her doctor.

I am sorry that we cannot be of more help on this occasion. 

Please feel free to get back to us if you need any more information or support.  You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9 am till 5 pm Monday to Friday.

Yours sincerely,

Vanda