# FNA Results - Follicular Cells?



## Phayah (Nov 4, 2011)

I just got off the phone with the clinic nurse and she said they found follicular cells in my biopsy. I know there is a follicular type of thyroid cancer but she did not say it was cancer. I asked her and she said they wouldn't know for sure until they got it out of there. So, they gave me a referral to an ENT and it looks like I'm going to have to have some type of thyroid surgery. I'm a little confused and scared. :sad0049:

I guess I know for sure now to listen to my gut and never let people tell me I'm just paranoid or crazy.


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## Phayah (Nov 4, 2011)

So, I was able to speak with my doc about this later today. Now I'm really scared. She said it could be any type of cancer or it might not be cancer at all. She also said it could be bigger or more extensive than what appeared on the ultrasound. I tried looking it up but its too scary to think about. Does anyone know more about this? Please help! :sad0049:


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

My ultrasound results also showed follicular cells, somewhat inconclusive, could have gone either way (cancer or not). I was told odds were 80% in my favor. No such luck...Mine turned out to be cancer...3.2 cm of it.


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## Phayah (Nov 4, 2011)

Octavia said:


> My ultrasound results also showed follicular cells, somewhat inconclusive, could have gone either way (cancer or not). I was told odds were 80% in my favor. No such luck...Mine turned out to be cancer...3.2 cm of it.


You are okay now? Maybe I'm having some kind if weird, delayed reaction to all this. I feel really emotional now. Was your ultrasound correct about the size? I'm scared it might be worse because I feel like I'm dying sometimes. I'm only 27 years old. How can this happen? How did you feel after surgery?

Thank you so much! :hugs:


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I would say I felt 85% to 90% fine throughout all of it. I am fine now...actually feel quite good. My emotional reaction was very mild. It takes quite a bit to upset me, in general, and with the exception of a few instances when I felt like I _could_ cry (but didn't), I really never got emotional over any of it. Those "almost cried" instances were after my surgeries.

Actually, after I heard my cancer diagnosis, I went to Dairy Queen and got an Oreo Blizzard. Cuz why the heck not, you know? 

My ultrasound measurements were close-ish... ultrasound said 2.5 cm, actual tumor a month later was 3.2 cm. Maybe the ultrasound was inaccurate, or maybe the tumor just grew a little during that month.

You are not dying. Well, I mean...we're all dying eventually, but you're not dying right now. Many of us on this board have been exactly where you are now, and for the most part, we've made it through pretty well. You have to be strong for yourself and for your recovery. I'm a firm believer in the power of the mind and the power of positive energy over negative energy. Be positive - it's healthier!


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## Phayah (Nov 4, 2011)

Ya know, I thought it wasn't gonna rattle me at all but it did, several hours later. I've actually had a lot of thyroid symptoms for years but inconsistent blood work. I didn't get the ultrasound until I started having major hair loss and brain fog. I felt desperate to find an answer and get feeling better.

Why would I have so many thyroid symptoms but others don't? I honestly thought it was just the autoimmune type or some other endocrine problem. I thought my current scenario unlikely.

I also believe in the power of positive thought. Its a tough one for me but I'm working on it. :tongue0013:


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Oh, I honestly believe I had thyroid symptoms my entire adult life. I've had my levels tested a few times over the years, always "normal," but I wasn't smart enough to be persistent with it. My main symptoms were ALWAYS cold, and often tired. I finally learned to live with it, and basically planned my days and my wardrobe around staying warm! For about 6 to 12 months prior to my surgeries, I could actually fall asleep at my desk most workdays, but I chalked it up to being bored and sitting all day.

Then one day this big lump "burped" itself out in the front of my neck, and the rest is history, as they say!

I feel better and have more energy now than I have for the past several years...despite the fact that my labs were always "normal."

Since you have symptoms, this could be a blessing in disguise...yet to be seen, but it could be the beginning of the end of your thyroid struggles, you know?

And I hear you on it being tough to be positive...sometimes that's easier said than done. But you do have it in you. Let it sink in, deal with it, and continue to live...that's what we all need to do.


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## sonnyjane (Oct 6, 2011)

Octavia said:


> Oh, I honestly believe I had thyroid symptoms my entire adult life. I've had my levels tested a few times over the years, always "normal," but I wasn't smart enough to be persistent with it. My main symptoms were ALWAYS cold, and often tired. I finally learned to live with it, and basically planned my days and my wardrobe around staying warm! For about 6 to 12 months prior to my surgeries, I could actually fall asleep at my desk most workdays, but I chalked it up to being bored and sitting all day.
> 
> Then one day this big lump "burped" itself out in the front of my neck, and the rest is history, as they say!


Octavia -

Reading your story, it just sounds so similar to mine! I have been getting thyroid tests every few years since I was about 13 years old because my mom worried that I was always freezing and that I slept an abnormal amount. The numbers were always "normal" so we just eventually stopped testing. The last thyroid test I had (other than all of my recent tests after finding the cancer) was in college when I started sleeping 16 hours a day, but the tests were "normal" so I just figured I was tired from partying. I just figured I was an "old lady" and joked about the fact that I had to be in bed by 8 if I was going to work the next day, and I was always made fun of for wearing coats, scarves, and ski caps even if it was in the 60's. Looking back now, it ALLLLLLLL makes sense! If my nodule (2.5 cm) hadn't "popped to the front" of my neck, I wouldn't have ever pursued this, and sure enough it was cancer!

Phayah - I had a delayed reaction as well. Like Octavia, it takes a lot to phase me..I'm always the "tough one", but the word "cancer" really shook me, even though I was told over and over again that thyroid cancer wasn't very dangerous at all. Now that I've had my thyroid removed, it's still odd to say the words, but you WILL make it through and be okay! I'm sorry about these findings


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## angel1976 (Nov 15, 2011)

the follicular cells are composing thyroid therefore they are commomly found in the nodules!
IF such cells are forming cluster and sheets without colloid we are talking about the neoplasm.
In one of my posts I described what tests are used for neoplasm


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Phayah said:


> I just got off the phone with the clinic nurse and she said they found follicular cells in my biopsy. I know there is a follicular type of thyroid cancer but she did not say it was cancer. I asked her and she said they wouldn't know for sure until they got it out of there. So, they gave me a referral to an ENT and it looks like I'm going to have to have some type of thyroid surgery. I'm a little confused and scared. :sad0049:
> 
> I guess I know for sure now to listen to my gut and never let people tell me I'm just paranoid or crazy.


You have a very good doc and are receiving good care and advice. Yes; that is a highly suspicious biopsy result.

Go for the gold and get it out. That way you will rest easy.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Echoing a lot of what Octavia has said...

While it is scary to think about the word "cancer," I think it's also important to keep focused on the positives: that it is easily treatable and the long term prognosis is excellent.

I had a number of nodules, but the largest and most concerning also showed up on the u/s as 2.5cm and was measured as 3.2cm in post-op pathology. Also, my u/s showed no signs of lymph node involvement, but I did indeed have some. U/Ss are wonderful tools, but they do have limitations.

I also considered myself asymptomatic, but looking back on it, I had symptoms. Some people are more in tune with their bodies and some people are...a little slower on the uptake. I'm one of the latter ones. 

Finding the right medication and right dosage is a pain in the arse, but I bet you'll feel 100 times better once that nasty gland is out and you've gotten everything straightened out.

:hugs:


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