Just diagnosed with Thyroid cancer?

Question

I have just been diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Cancer. I am only 37. I am so upset. I have two little kids. The thing is my doctor assured me I would be all right and it is highly curable. Well, after much extensive research, I believe what he said is true but I did find out from top cancer centers, my risk from the radioactive treatment greatly increases my risk of secondary cancers and breast cancer. i am soooooo upset. I just feel like I am doomed and will not live past 50, that after this, I will get another more aggressive cancer. Do you know anyone that has live for fifty years or more after having thyroid cancer without getting another cancer?

Answer 1

My friend sent this to you she has a forum but the listing somehow did not make it through to the answers she wanted to make sure you got it here is is and her forum address is below in the sources

have papillary throid cancer, I am 30 now. I have had 3 large RAI doses, the risk of secondary cancer only goes up slightly after multiple treatments, but even then the risk is very small and the benifits you get from treatment are greater than the small risk.The RAI stays in your body for a very small time. I am a very rare case I have had a thyroidectomy, neck dissection and just got home from thorocotomy. This last surgery is exteremly rare for my age group. Still my prognosis is very good. The thing with Papillary Cancer is it is highly treatable in 99% of the cases, I just happen to be the 1% where surgery was needed. I have my own site where there are other thyroid cancer survivors who can anwswer your questions, it is Jennells' Thyroid Cancer Forum in Yahoo groups.
you need membership approval but we can help you with Low Iodine Diets, this you will need to do when you get scanned and have your Radio active iodine. The are no fees and no donations. Hope this helps and that we hear from you! Take care and don't fret, it all sound scary and I thought I could never handle this either but I did and I will be around for a long time! ONE GROUP MEMBER SAID CANCER IS PREVENTABLE BUT THAT IS NOT TRUE, I LOOKED AFTER MYSELF VERY WELL BUT THERE IS NOT WAY TO PREVENT IS, IF THAT WERE THE CASE I WOULD NOT BE GOING THROUGH THIS

Be careful of what the doctor above says, a body scan and Tg levels show metastatic disease, ultrasound are not reliable. Body scans use radio active iodine. If your Tg is elevated when you go off of your thyroid meds and then a dose of iodine is given. If there is any cancer that is papillary then it will show up on the body scan and confirm cancer. That is something an ultrasound can not do.

Answer 2

As a matter of fact, I have three friends who are all over fifty, one being over sixty, that have had Papillary Thyroid Cancer, have been treated and have had no reaccurances or new cancers. Cancer is a scary word and not one you want to hear from your doctor, but the kind you have has a very good cure rate and the treatments are not too severe. This is really just a bump in the road that will dimish in importance in a few years. Worrying about it or even worrying about how long or short your life will be does not help at all. Think of it this way, you could walk out your door and get hit by a bus, or a car. You might lose control of your car. There are any number of things that could happen between now and when you are fifty. While it is true that some treatments may lead to other cancers, if you do not get the treatments, you will have a known cancer.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

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Answer 5

I had surgery removing my thyroid 2 years ago because I had cancer. I was 36. I also have 2 kids. I did a lot of reading. Something that people tend to forget is you have options. You do not have to do the treatment afterwards. I chose not to. So far, all is fine other than still trying to get the right levels with my meds. I have breast cancer that runs on both sides of my family. Mother just passed away a year ago from it. So after weighing the pros and cons for me, I opted not to. There are no guarantees in life and I say go with your gut.

Answer 6

Expectations (prognosis)

Anaplastic carcinoma has the worst prognosis (probable outcome) of all the types of thyroid cancer, and has an expected life span of less than 6 months after diagnosis. Follicular carcinomas are often fast growing and may invade other tissues, but the probable outcome is still good -- over 90% of patients are cured.

The outcome with medullary carcinoma varies. Women under 40 years old have a better chance of a good outcome. The cure rate is 40-50%.

Papillary carcinomas are usually slower growing. Most people are cured (over 95%) and have a normal life expectancy.
YOUR PROGNOSIS IS GOOD

Answer 7

You cannot worry about what might or might not happen...You have thyroid cancer,, they will treat it and you will get better. The best thing you can do for you and your family is stay positive, believe that it is possible to be healed.
Everyone is at risk for cancer day in and day out...there is no way to tell if you are going to ever get another kind.
I didn't have thyroid cancer but had to take radioactive iodine to render my thyroid inactive due to hyperthyroid. I have to take a pill everyday for the rest of my life, but it's no big deal.
My sister had thyroid cancer a couple of years ago, they removed her thyroid and she is cancer free today!!!
You'll be fine. I'll say a prayer for you!

Answer 8

Calm down thyroid cancer is very treatable,as a matter of fact they can remove your entire tyroid without a problem.....and you will just have to take a pill per day..i know you are upset and it is so scarey that no one can comfort you but you have to have faith in your doctors ,and your doctor is right...It does not mean you will have it in another place ever again,you may never...Don,t give up without first finding out all your options....

Answer 9

Minimal disease - hemithyroidectomy (or unilateral lobectomy) and isthmectomy is sufficient. However, this is rarely done today, as total thyroidectomy is the therapy of choice.
Gross disease - total thyroidectomy, and central compartment lymph node removal is the therapy of choice. Additional lateral neck nodes can be removed at the same time if an ultrasound guided FNA and thyrobulin TG cancer washing was positive on the pre-operative neck node ultrasound evaluation.
Arguments for total thyroidectomy are:

Reduced risk of recurrence, if central compartment nodes are removed at the original surgery.
Papillary carcinoma is a multifocal disease (hemithyroidectomy may leave disease in the other lobe)
Ease of monitoring with thyroglobulin (sensitivity for picking up recurrence is increased in presence of total thyroidectomy, and ablation of remnant normal thyroid by low dose radioiodine 131 after following a low iodine diet (LID).
Ease of detection of metastatic disease by thyroid and neck node ultrasound.
Thyroid total body scans are less reliable at finding recurrence than TG and ultrasound.

One thing you must keep in mind is to keep encouraging yourself, because fighting diseases such as cancer is 99% psychological. Get closer to your loved ones, as they may offer you encouragements during momentary setbacks in your treatment process.

Answer 10

I acknowledge that you are scared and upset. I hope the information I share will help.

In my understanding... no matter what the diagnosis is, cancer is cancer and It doesn't scare me because I know it's preventable. With that said...

I suggest you scroll down to the information you feel applies to you on this site and then research other sites as well.