Thyroid cancer and Hashimotos: Full or partial thyroid thyroidectomy?

Posted by lmmhqb @lmmhqb, Jan 9, 2025

I have papillary thyroid cancer in my left node. No where else they can see. So recommended to have the left node and a few nearby lymph nodes removed and sent to pathology. They think that will be all I will need but if pathology come back different than they expect, they may have to go back in to remove more, but seems unlikely.

I have Hashimotos. I will still have half of my thyroid and therefore my Hashimotos will still be active. A full thyrodectimony would cure the Hashimotos. My Hashimotos symptoms are not extreme, I have 500-ish level antibodies and my thyroid has functioned pretty well without any medications so far but is trending towards hypothyroid. But the antibodies likely keep the tissue consistently inflamed and may be related to some mental health struggles I’ve had for 8 years like anxiety, mood swings, and fatigue. I always attributed it to having two young kids, but the more I think about it, they could be thyroid symptoms. And inflammation can create an environment for cancer I have heard.

My doctor does not expect the remaining right half to produce enough for my body so I will be medicated post surgery most likely.

What is your take on full vs. partial thyroid removal when Hashimotos is a factor? The remaining side won’t be functioning properly so medication is needed no matter which surgery I get. But does the risk of doing a full outweigh the cost of forever having Hashimotos?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Thyroid Cancer Support Group.

I had complete thyriod removed 2020 radioactive iodine falling surgery it return 2024 surgery ri again it return 2026 but it nolonger absorbed iodine it can only be found with ct scan and I have had my third surgery and will have to do a scan this fall

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