# What were your symptoms of thyroid cancer?



## disneyfan83

Hi all,

Just curious as to what were some of your symptoms you had if any?

I'm going in for a biopsy in a few days and am wondering what your experience was like.

Thanks for all the info!


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## Octavia

For months, my voice hurt. I didn't know what to do with that piece of information. I'm not a big talker, so I just thought maybe I was talking more than usual.

I was falling asleep at my desk at work. Again, I blew that off because maybe I was just overworked, not sleeping well at night, etc.

I was always, always, always cold...my entire adult life.

My bowels had issues for years.

That's what I can remember, anyway. I strongly believe that the fatigue, coldness, and bowel issues were a hypothyroid problem, but I wasn't smart enough back then to really press the issue when my tests were "normal" according to the doctor. I don't necessarily think those issues were caused by the cancer itself. But I do 100% believe that the voice pain was because of the cancer. My tumor was over 3 cm, so it was creating issues inside my neck.

All four of the "symptoms" I mentioned above are 97% better now that my thyroid is gone and I'm on replacement medication.


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## joplin1975

It's hard to say. I had Hashi's and had antibodies related to Grave's, too. I consider most of my symptoms related to my autoimmune conidition, rather than cancer.

Are you looking for decriptions of the biopsy, too?


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## disneyfan83

Thanks Octavia. I am new to all of this and I think I am just worrying myself sick.

The only symptom I have is cold all the time. But that's been all my life. other than that nothing.

All my tests were normal as well as the antibodies test it was <10. Just has me wondering what caused this nodule if everything is ok.

Joplin- You always respond to my posts  Thanks for that, I guess I am just worrying myself with the what ifs.

I haven't had my biopsy yet so I wouldn't have any description or anything to compare it to. My biopsy is scheduled for Monday.


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## KeepOnGoing

I had a lump in my neck.

Nothing else.

Symptoms, or lack thereof, do not appear to predict malignancy at all, as far as I can tell.


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## disneyfan83

That's pretty much all I have is the nodule. Nothing else.

Thanks for the response. Hopefully it just turns out to be nothing.


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## joplin1975

Keep in mind that the vast majority of nodules are pretty much unremarkable.


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## Endocrine_Surgeon

Most patients with small thyroid cancers have no symptoms that are directly related to the cancer. Hashimoto's or Graves disease definitely produce unpleasant symptoms, but those are separate from cancer symptoms. If your tumor is large enough, you can start to get symptoms related to compression of surrounding structures, like difficulty swallowing, breathing, or changes in your voice. These symptoms can occur with large benign tumors as well, though.


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## webster2

I had a hoarse voice all of the time. I think everything else that I was experiencing was due to Graves disease. I declined a biopsy.


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## SuzieSocialWorker

Agreed that my symptoms were hypo/autoimmune. I also had compression symptoms but my old thyroid was really inflamed, the nodules were small. Lesson I would like to pass on: don't over-worry. Sure it's on your mind, but if you're combing these boards and reading every study published in the last 10 years (guilty), stop because it does not help your experience. Relax!


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## disneyfan83

Suzie that is great advice and something I need to stop doing! Google can be your worst enemy sometimes. It's so hard not to worry but I just need to try my best. It won't help the situation.

Thanks


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## India

I too had symptoms of hypothyrodism (cold, constipated) for pretty much my whole life and normal TSH levels the two times it was checked. I was diagnosed with Hashi's during the process of discovering the papillary cancer.

In my case, I went to my doctor because I felt like my throat was constricted. The doctor said my thyroid was enlarged and there was a bump but that it "didn't feel hard like cancer does". Fortunately she had me get an ultrasound anyway, and it turned out there was a 5x3x2 cm tumor.

The doctor who did the biopsy did several different samples and said I would get the results in 2-3 business days, but it took longer, more like a week or week and a half. I just took the ostrich approach and didn't really think about it, which was just as well since the results were delayed and worrying would only have made it worse.


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