Hello titchtr

I'm sorry to hear about the position that you find yourself in. It's understandably an anxious time for you. 

I know we've had quite a number of posts in the past on the forum about similar situations. If you use the forum search function to look for the term thy3f you should find quite a few posts that you can read through. Hopefully, if we've any members who see your post they will reply to share their experiences with you as well. 

It sounds as if your Consultant is lovely and that you have confidence in her which is great to hear. If you'd like to chat things through with one of our nurses before your next appointment then you're most welcome to give them a call. Sometimes it can help to talk to someone not directly involved in your care. They're available Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm on 0808 800 4040. 

Whatever you decide to do, I hope that all goes smoothly for you. Keep in touch and let us know how you get on. 

Best wishes, 
Jenn
Cancer Chat moderator 

Hello Titchr,

I don't know if it is within the rules of the forum but would be so kind to share the name of your consultant (even via PM)?

I find myself split between trusting the doctor I have seen this week who says that Tir 3 need to be removed (despite mine being Tir3a which is normally monitored) and who suggest an FNA because the results I have are from January and from Italy) OR just go to Italy (there is a famous centre in Pisa) and do the FNA and see a consultant there directly.

I am not sure who to trust. It is challenging but it seems you have found a doctor who is guiding you and respecting your timings which is great.

wishing you the best!

Dear Ilarob84

i am so sorry for what you're going through. My consultant has got a second opinion and the lab has downgraded the result from thy3f to thy3a. She said we can rescan in 2-3 months therefore and go from there. She is brilliant. she practices in west london 

I am wishing you all the best

Hi blessings everyone 

I been under observation for under 2 years with thyroid nodules both left right side . Had biopsies and scans went from Thy3a to Thy3 f but today after a meeting they called me to say  the left thy3 f is high risk and they believe I should have an op as 30 per. Chance of malignancy . Im

yet to receive copy of results and this was on phone . I was told isnt cancer but could be 50 / 50 - and with the op they can determine what of us for sure but of left there's the risk . Hence confused . 
 
i said I don't want to go or anything op im

unckear . They offered me an app  referral with a surgeon where I can have a thorough discussion and go through everything ..

im

very stressed no one to talk to why don't thty simply find a way to determine is or isn't - is not fair and what is the point of having biopsies that are supposed to help and scans not come constantly inconclusive and hard to determine .. I have two sons I don't want them stressed I already have fybromylgia and spinal issues  

Can I put off an op ?as sounds like I should ..  Is the decision mine if I need more time o think or seek second opinions ? 
God  bless everyone trying to remain calm 

best wishes to everyone who's going through same ️

If they could be sure, they would. They take biopsies because for some people, they do give a clear answer. I had a biopsy that said I had thyroid cancer. But in some people's cases, the biopsy doesn't give a clear answer. There is nothing the doctors or nurses can do about this. Yeah, it's not fair, but it's nobody's fault; it's just the way things turn out sometimes.

Try not to worry. Even if it is cancer, the most likely scenario is simply that they remove your thyroid and then you go on about your life as normal. I was a couple of weeks recovering from my operation (which removed my thyroid, a 10.5cm nodule and all the lymph nodes at one side of my neck), took four weeks off work and then got back to life as if little had changed, except I had to take a couple of tablets each morning. My voice was a little weak for a couple of months, but that was all.

It would probably be better to have the operation, if for no other reason than to reduce your stress. If they find out it isn't cancer, which is probably the most likely option, then the ordeal is over and you can forget all about it. And if it is cancer, then they take out the rest of your thyroid, maybe do radioiodine treatment if they feel the risk of reccurance is higher (which is annoying and a bit of a hassle but is a one-off and does not make you sick or anything; the only side effect I had was a nose bleed about a week and a half afterwards) and then you can get back to normal. Yeah, if it is cancer, there will still be that bit of stress, checking every year for reccurance, but it will probably be less than you have now.

And if it is cancerous, it will probably have to come out at some time and putting it off is both prolonging the stress and increasing the possibility of a greater operation. For example, if it spreads to the lymph nodes, you will have to get them out too (doesn't affect prognosis, but does increase recovery time and slightly raises the chances of complications) or just being older might make you less resilient when recovering.

The surgeon will be able to give you all the pluses and minuses, so I'd say have a list of the questions you want to ask him, such as whether putting it off is likely to make the operation more serious or how long your recovery time would be likely to be (though this is different for everybody; the surgeon told me 2 weeks and then the nurse said 4 if it's only the thyroid and 6-8 if they also remove lymph nodes, so I sort of split the difference). You could also ask about second opinions or whether another biopsy would be likely to give you any additional information.

He can't make you have the operation, so in that sense it is up to you. But he would be the best person to advise you.

Also, I only told a very small number of people that I had thyroid cancer - my mum, brother and sister, the principal and the SENCO (I'm a learning support teacher) and one other teacher who was a good friend of the SENCO and who I told mainly in case the SENCO had already done so and she wasn't sure whether or not she was supposed to know. The rest of the staff and my friends...I just told I was having my thyroid removed. If they asked for further details, I told them there was a cyst on it that could cause difficulties if it grew any bigger. (I found out more than two years after my operation that one of my colleagues had spent that long believing I'd had an overactive thyroid and that was why it had been removed.) I don't know how old your boys are but if they are younger, it might be possible to just tell them that, that you need an operation on your thyroid. 

Thsbk you so much for taking the time to reply and provide such a blessed informative response  . Deeply grateful and is of great help and encouragement to me . 
the part about he questions to the surgeons especially ..

thank you also for sharing your journey God bless you for your strength and keep you always well .  

i feel if I may share my dad age 62 ws in same scenario they only knew once they went in..  a size of an orange thereafter was c stage 4,. Within less than 6 months he was gone .. 5 years now like yesterday .. I feel this is huge why I feel more worried .. wary but I'm comforted by your response and appreciate your share and taking the time . I will await their letter and surgeons app and go from there . Re kids : I agree ️thank you 
love and many blessings to you ️ ️

If you are under 50, then with the most common forms of thyroid cancer, there is no stage four. Or stage three. If it spreads outside the neck (very rare), it's stage two and otherwise it's stage one. And even with spread outside the neck, the odds of survival overall are 77% for the most common form. And that's across all ages. I think it is significantly higher for under 50s, but I don't know what age you are.

If it is just in the thyroid or just thyroid and lymph nodes, the the odds of survival are...let's put it this way, I've read studies where they ended with "and we also intended to study the impact on survival, but we couldn't find enough people who died of it to get stats." The odds of survival are in the high 90s. 

Sorry to hear about your dad, that's awful.

Thyroid cancer, however, really doesn't fit a lot of what one associates with cancer. For most forms, it's better not to really think of it in terms of cancer at all, which is why I just told so many people that I was having my thyroid removed. It describes the situation much more accurately as when people hear "cancer," they think "chemotherapy, survival odds, ongoing treatment, etc," none of which was my experience.

Hi Margaret  . I'm 46 . 
thank you again so much for your additional reply . 
I was not aware a thyroid stages are only 1-2 wow ! Good to know  and statistics upin survival wow . 
 

your a huge blessing deeply thankful grateful for your replies- saving them to re read again they are of great hope and encouragement . 

Re: dad .. thank you ️Still seems like yest .. 

I pray perfect health over you and much joy 

love and many blessings and thack you for being you 

️ ️
 

Hi [@vassareti]‍ 

How are you. I appear to be in the same boat. I've had a nodule in my thyroid that was noted as one to watch 2 years ago (though no one told me). I had a biopsy in May and was told abnormal cells have been found but it was an inconclusive result. They've suggested surgery to remove half the thyroid and a core biopsy will be done. But I've been waiting for that fir almost 4 months!!! It's hard and I'm exhausted. I just wondered what you decided to do? I hope you're okay