# Thyroglobulin and tsh test



## Want2FeelGood (Sep 17, 2011)

I had my thyroid gland removed for papillary cancer last month and while on 150 a day of Levothroid my thyroglobulin is 0.28 and TSH 0.30

Is this good or bad ? Does this mean my cancer is gone ? I'm scheduled for my first and hopefully only RAI in three weeks if thyrogen is available.


----------



## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I wouldn't assume that your lab results say anything about whether the cancer is gone. I'm sure they got everything they could with the surgery, but as my surgeon (or was it my oncologist?) put it, "it's not a clean surgery," meaning that some cells are going to be leftover simply because it's not like peeling off a piece of tape...especially since these surgeons do their best to leave the parathyroid glands intact, which evidently involves some guesswork.

Rather than waiting for Thyrogen to become available (which is iffy), is your doctor open to taking you off the Levothroid for a few weeks to kick up your TSH so you can have the RAI sooner? (Or maybe you can stop it now, so you can keep your RAI appointment in 3 weeks???)

As for your lab numbers...my oncologist's goal is to keep my TSH close to zero. (I think this is true for most of us on this board who have had thyroid cancer.) My last result for TSH was .003, and he was happy with that. I would say given that "rule," your 0.3 is a bit higher than most would like, but you are very early in your treatment. So after your RAI, they may increase your Levothroid amount to get your TSH a lot lower.

My doc started me on 125 mcg right after my surgery, knowing that I would need to stop taking it prior to my RAI, and also knowing that the amount would likely change afterwards. It was just a "placeholder" for me to take for a few weeks. Then I stopped taking it to "prepare" for my RAI. After I got the RAI, they put me on 150, which is what I am still taking. (This all took place earlier this year.)


----------



## Want2FeelGood (Sep 17, 2011)

I understand. But one would think that such a low thyroglob factor now means I don't have that much thyroid tissue left, cancer or not. A friend thinks she can get me some thyrogen. Guess if she does, she'll be a friend for life.


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Want2FeelGood said:


> I had my thyroid gland removed for papillary cancer last month and while on 150 a day of Levothroid my thyroglobulin is 0.28 and TSH 0.30
> 
> Is this good or bad ? Does this mean my cancer is gone ? I'm scheduled for my first and hopefully only RAI in three weeks if thyrogen is available.


I believe this is a good thing. Everyone is supposed to have a low titer of Thyroglobulin.
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/thyroglobulin/tab/test

We don't want to see that rising and we don't want to see Thyroglobulin Ab.

Congrats. I think this is wonderful!

Keep that TSH way down low; that is the protocul. Apparently your doc knows that.


----------

