# I just got the call...



## aquabean (Apr 23, 2013)

I had the left lobe of my thyroid removed last Tuesday because I had a 3cm nodule that was suspicious and I just got a call from my surgeon that it WAS cancer  I am devastated. She said she could get me in tomorrow to remove the other half otherwise I'll have to wait 6 weeks because of scar tissue. Here is my pathology report:

Surgical Pathology Report
FINAL PATHOLOGIC DIAGNOSIS
THYROID, LEFT LOBE, EXCISION:
- PAPILLARY THYROID CARCINOMA, FOLLICULAR VARIANT, 3 CM.
- ALL SURGICAL RESECTION MARGINS ARE FREE OF TUMOR.
- SEE SYNOPTIC BELOW.

MARIA FERNANDA SERRANO M.D.
** Report Electronically Signed by MFS **
Comment
SYNOPTIC THYROID GLAND: Resection

Procedure: Left thyroid lobectomy. 
Specimen Integrity: Intact.
Specimen Size: Left lobe 4 x 3.5 x 2.5 cm.
Tumor Focality: Unifocal.
Tumor Laterality: Left lobe.
Tumor Size: Greatest dimension 3 cm.
Histologic Type: Papillary carcinoma.
Variant: Follicular variant. 
Architecture: Follicular.
Cytomorphology: Classical.
Margins: Margins uninvolved by carcinoma. 
Tumor Capsule: Totally encapsulated.
Tumor Capsular Invasion: Present, minimal.
Lymph-Vascular Invasion: Not identified.
Extrathyroidal extension: Not identified.
Pathologic Staging (pTNM):
Primary Tumor: pT2 - Tumor more than 2 cm, but not more than 4 cm,
limited to thyroid.
Regional Lymph Nodes: pNX - Regional lymph nodes cannot be
assessed.
Distant Metastasis: Not applicable.

I don't know if I'm more scared of living without a thyroid or having to do RAI. Does this report really say the cancer part of my tumor was 3cm?? I don't understand what half of this stuff means and I don't know what to do :\ Anyone that has had 2 surgery's a week apart, how did you handle it? My other side is currently clear....I really wanted to keep it, wah!


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## SweetMelissa (May 20, 2013)

Very sorry to hear that. does that mean that the FNA biopsy you had done came back suspicious for cancer as well? Or is this news completely out of the blue? I'm sure you know that the fact that it is completely encapsulated is very good news. I"m 5 days post-op and get my results back this Friday. SM


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

I am sorry to hear. Octavia has experienced this and I am sure she will be along. Hang in there, you're going to be okay.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I'm sorry, too. That's a real kick in the pants. I, too, hope Octavia will swing by...but in the mean time, I want to assure you that things will be ok. Going without a thyroid isn't do bad...and honestly, neither is RAI. It's a pain in the neck, yes, but it's very manageable.


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## aquabean (Apr 23, 2013)

Thanks y'all. I'm starting to second guess if I want to rush and get the other side out with a second opinion from a cancer center like md anderson or sloan-kettering :\ My FNA was inconclusive, 30% chance of cancer.


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## Claire Voyant (Jun 4, 2013)

aquabean said:


> Thanks y'all. I'm starting to second guess if I want to rush and get the other side out with a second opinion from a cancer center like md anderson or sloan-kettering :\ My FNA was inconclusive, 30% chance of cancer.


So very sorry, Aquabean . . .I'm living in fear of that news for the next few days, even though its fairly uncommon for the doc to miss it while in the first time around, I understand.

Honestly, it's my understanding the FNA is but a tiny sampling of the tumor and that's why there's a 30% chance that a false negative can happen or not enough cells to conclude its cancer. However . . .when its removed and sent to the lab, they have the whole thing, making the chance of a false positive slim . . .as in, only possible if the lab tech accidentally switched the slides with another patient.

I can completely understand your apprehension, though. Does this consternation mean you've decided to delay the surgery by 6 weeks? My surgery was today . . .but if the labs come back positive, I won't be putting it off out of fear it would delay the RAI treatment and that's what rids the body of additional cells that have spread. But then, this is a decision you'll have to make yourself, of course. Let us know what you decide.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Well, Aquabean, this stinks for you. I remember being where you are now, and it was weird. Although I kind of expected to hear it, it was still a bit of a shock to hear the C word so definitively. I am the first and only person in my immediate family to go through cancer, but they were as supportive as I needed them to be.

My surgeries were about 2.5 to 3 weeks apart. (Surgeon never mentioned anything about scar tissue getting in the way of the second surgery.) My second one was a breeze (the first one was only difficult because of extreme nausea/vomiting). If the surgeon would have offered me a "next day" surgery, I would have jumped on it simply to get it over with.

The worst part of the RAI for me was following the low iodine diet.

What would be your hope with having your slides sent to a cancer center? Are you holding out for a misdiagnosis, or a different treatment plan that may or may not involve removing the other half of your thyroid and having RAI?

If you are hopeful about a misdiagnosis, I have to agree with Clare Voyant that odds of that are extremely slim to none. If you are hoping for a different treatment plan that doesn't involve complete removal, let me ask you this: would you be fearful for the rest of your life that your cancer has returned or spread, knowing that there could still be some cancerous cells in there?

Six weeks from now, you could be pretty much done with this whole process and be getting on with your life. Or if you wait, you'll just be getting started again.

This is a decision only you can make. I'm just trying to give you food for thought.

Sending a hug your way... :hugs:


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## aquabean (Apr 23, 2013)

Thanks Octavia. I am the first and only person in my immediate family to have to go through cancer too. I have no doubts that it's cancer, I guess I would have just been hoping someone somewhere would tell me it's okay to keep the other side. I have just read so many horror stories about living without a thyroid....I'm only 27 and haven't even had the chance to have kids yet :\ I really hope I am just over thinking it as I am heading to the second surgery soon....


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

My mother-in-law had three children after having her thyroid removed. Once you get your levels stabilized, you can TTC to your heart's content! Everything will be fine.

Best wishes for an uneventful surgery.

Just remember...those horror stories are the vocal minority. Millions of people are living without a thyroid, and the ones who are doing well aren't writing on the internet about it. The ones who aren't doing well have not found their optimal medicines or doses, and I would guess many of them have just given up. For some, it can be a difficult road to navigate if they keep hitting dead ends.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I do understand your concern, by the way. If I were younger and still wanted children when I was diagnosed, I likely would have looked at things a bit differently.

I should have said that you will need to wait several months before trying to conceive, so the RAI has a chance to completely work its way out of your system and won't hurt the developing baby.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Octavia said:


> Just remember...those horror stories are the vocal minority. Millions of people are living without a thyroid, and the ones who are doing well aren't writing on the internet about it. The ones who aren't doing well have not found their optimal medicines or doses, and I would guess many of them have just given up. For some, it can be a difficult road to navigate if they keep hitting dead ends.


I cannot agree more. Its great to get lots of information, but try not to focus on the really difficult cases.

I will say that for me, cancer was a blessing. I didn't know I had Hashi's too and I have never felt better.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

aquabean said:


> I had the left lobe of my thyroid removed last Tuesday because I had a 3cm nodule that was suspicious and I just got a call from my surgeon that it WAS cancer  I am devastated. She said she could get me in tomorrow to remove the other half otherwise I'll have to wait 6 weeks because of scar tissue. Here is my pathology report:
> 
> Surgical Pathology Report
> FINAL PATHOLOGIC DIAGNOSIS
> ...


You will live fine w/o a thyroid! I am so so sorry that you have to go through this a second time.

Believe me; many of us here have a superior quality of life w/o a thyroid. We will help you get on track.

Let us know if you are going in tomorrow!


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## KeepOnGoing (Jan 2, 2013)

I'm really sorry you're going through this. Was there myself last autumn - 2cm follicular variant papillary carcinoma, fully encapsulated. I had the other half of my thyroid removed about 6 weeks later, and really wish it could have been sooner - nothing was worse than the waiting.

Yes, you can live absolutely fine without a thyroid.

Just a thought, but because my carcinoma was totally encapsulated (and the other side was clear) they didn't do RAI for me - so perhaps you could at least ask about it. I don't know what the protocol over in the US is for these situations, but here in the UK they are beginning to move away from always doing RAI in these situations.

Keep asking questions - I found that I really needed to know exactly what was going on, as that way I felt just a little bit more "in control".


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## BlueButterfly (Feb 16, 2010)

So sorry you are having to deal with all of this. One surgery is traumatic enough. Hugs to you.


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## aquabean (Apr 23, 2013)

Y'all are wonderful, thank you for the replies  I did have the other side taken out a week ago. Considering my neck has been cut open twice in a week I've really had very little pain! I took even less pain killers the second time around. I am on cytomel until I see my endo (hopefully this week!) and figure out the RAI situation.

Figuring out if I want to do RAI or not will be my next big step. Still waiting on my pathology report for the other side and lymph nodes. I think RAI is recommended regardless of what happens with my other side just because of the fact my tumor was 3cm...? :\ I'll find out soon I guess!


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Right, I believe the recommendation is to skip RAI if it is 1cm or smaller.


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