1. < Thyroid Cancer

Radiation or thyroidectomy?

Posted by greggrockwell1981 @greggrockwell1981, Aug 20 12:50pm

I was originally diagnosed with metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma my question is is it smart to get radiation therapy to try to subdue the cancer in my thyroid or is it better to get a thyroidectomy what are the pros and cons of each procedure

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fossfactor | @fossfactor | Sep 7 10:17pm
In reply to @bhinderer "They can do a ultrasound guided biopsy to determine if cancer is present in thyroid and..." + (show)
@bhinderer

They can do a ultrasound guided biopsy to determine if cancer is present in thyroid and any nodes.

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Yes they took four samples from my nodules and tested for cancer. Someone is misinformed.

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bjones0714 | @bjones0714 | Oct 24 11:32pm
In reply to @koh "I am confused when people write that they have a diagnosis before surgery because I was..." + (show)
@koh

I am confused when people write that they have a diagnosis before surgery because I was told that thyroid cancer cannot be diagnosed until they remove the thyroid/ lobe. I had read that radiation kills the thyroid…., it causes the thyroid to stop working, which is why they don’t use it for treatment after lobectomy. You would have to take medication for the rest of your life so what are the gains? You might want to ask what happens to the 4 parathyroid with radiation…. They are on the back of the thyroid and are very important. You might also want to inquire about the risks to the surrounding tissues if you have radiation…. Will salivary glands and vocal cords be affected? It seems like a lot of people have radiation therapy after removal for metastatic cancer but I always thought that was because the diagnosis was confirmed with surgery and it was done primarily to ensure all cancer cells were killed…..I don’t think I have ever read about anyone having radiation as an option instead of surgery. Good luck!

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I had a biopsy that came back 95% cancer. The Endo called it a chance, but when I saw the surgeon he said it was cancer. The surgeon was correct. I had a total thyroidectomy about 4 was ago. The surgeon said there was a lot of “mushy” tissue which I think is doc speak for dead or dying tissue. My question to your med team would be if you have mushy tissue and only do radiation. What happens to any mushy tissue you have.

I’m now in the process of taking the radioactive iodine to kill any remaining thyroid tissue that might be floating around. I would ask your med team the difference between the two and why they are choosing radiation.

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