Hello all, I have just found this thread. I have been diagnosed with THY 3F and have been advised to have half my thyroid and  the lump removed. However, the consultant was very blasé about the ramifications should results show cancer present. So I am going for a second opinion. In the meantime, I can feel small nodules on the opposite side of my throat to the large nodule and I am truly frightened that little nodes of cancer are forming.

please can you post updates on your operations. I hope all went okay.

regards

Sheila

Hey, my surgeon was also very blasé and in my case, there was no doubt. It was clearly malignant. The reason for their reaction is probably that thyroid cancer is...well, not really usually serious in the way cancer usually is. The most common forms have very high survival rates - close to 100% among under 50s - and there is rarely any need for chemotherapy or radiotherapy. It's generally "just" a case of removing the thyroid.

I had my full thyroid removed as the biopsy showed malignancies. I was in hosptial nearly a week, but felt pretty much fine after about 3 days and was pretty bored for the last few days. I took a month off work as I am a teacher and really needed both to be able to turn my neck quickly and for my voice to be 100%. Even the first couple of weeks after I returned, yard duty got interesting as I couldn't make myself heard across a busy yard (it was fine in the classroom and I honestly didn't even realise my voice was weaker than usual until I had to call across the yard) and I had students running around, saying "Miss says you're to come away from that" or "Miss says it's time to go in to class."

It is now two years since my operation - well, two years and three months and...it has really had no effect on my life. The worst thing was the stress of it all. My neck still gets a bit tingly sometimes, but...that is mildly annoying at worst.

I am so glad you have had a positive outcome. Did they prescribe medication since you have had the whole thyroid removed? Do they monitor hormone and calcium levels?

Yes, they prescribed medication, which replaces the thyroid and yes, they monitor hormone and calcium levels.

A lot of people take thyroid medication, either because they have had their thyroid removed for various reasons or because their thyroid is underactive. I've only found this out since having mine removed and a number of people have mentioned either that they had theirs removed or a family member had or that they or somebody they know is taking medication for an underactive thyroid.

I will add that even if thyroid cancer spreads to the lymph nodes, it makes very little difference. It does increase the risk of recurrence, but the odds are still in favour of it not reccurring, but it doesn't affect survival rates.

Hi [@shs1]‍ I’ve just found you having had my biopsy results of 3a confirmed today. Surgery recommended to remove lump and left side of thyroid which will be scheduled for within 4 months. How are you doing?

Hi CazStu,

I am due for a hemi thyrodectomy on Monday 6th June. Feeling pretty nervous .

Sending you lots of love and luck. I hope it all goes well. Please keep me posted. ️

Hi [@CazStu]‍ 

i hope you are keeping well. My biopsy results were thy 3F. At any rate, the operation went smoothly and they removed half my thyroid alongside the nodule. The nodule was measured at 4.2cms, so pretty big.

I got home and after 2 days contracted covid fr9m my niece who had come to help whilst I recuperated! So, all in all, not good to say the least. Each covid cough was painful for my healing scar.

I had my follow up yesterday, three weeks exactly after my procedure. Good news was that although the lump was indeed cancerous, it had been removed completely. However, the cancer is an extremely rare form of aggressive Hurthle cell carcinoma which had invaded the blood vessels. Basically, the cancer has escaped through these vessels and also the surgeon spoke about follicular compromise (not sure what that means as yet).

He is recommending surgery to remove the remaining thyroid and then start radiiodine treatment almost immediately. He doesn't want to wait. So I am processing.

option is to go with this. But this is a big undertaking based on they cannot guarantee 100% success. The other option is to wait and watch for any occurrence of cancer - this could attack any part of the body.

At the xxxxx, they operate under a medical team environment: all the consultants and surgeons gather on Wednesdays to review case by case. They then submit their consensus view for recommendations. My surgeon will come back to me next Wednesday upon their ruminations. He is certain they will recommend the radio iodine option.

at the end of the day, it is my decision.

sorry about the long post.

But please note that this is not a normal outcome. Most posts here I have read lead to a positive outcome.

I shall update next week .

best regards and healthy wishes to you

Sorry to hear about the result you got.

I will say radioiodine treatment is nothing to worry about; it's basically just taking a capsule. It's sort of annoying because of the isolation restrictions and all but it doesn't hurt or make you sick or anything. I did get a nosebleed about 10 or 11 days after it, but that was the extent of the side effects.