# Well, the results are in...



## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

My ENT called about 1/2 hour ago with my pathology report. And it was cancer. He said he was papillary microcarcinoma. The nodule removed was 1.5 cm, but the cancer itself was less than 1/2 of it. There seemed to be no spread to my lymph nodes. So, he said that they will keep an eye on me and that removing the rest of my thyroid isn't necessary. I'm going to pick up the report at the office for myself to read (I always do that lol). What do you knowledgable peers think of this action? There is another nodule on the other half of my thyroid, but it hasnt grown at all in the year that they have been observed and it's a cyst, not solid. My dr said that a lot of other dr's dont even consider papillary microcarcinoma to be a true cancer. I'm not freaking out at all. Just thinking about it. A lot has happened in my life that doesnt happen to most people in the last 6 months, so really nothing shocks me anymore. I told my mom and she burst out in tears...I had to calm her down lol!!! I told my best friend and she remarked, "Wow, you are taking this very well." I haved learned in the last few months that life is a precious gift. Live every day to the fullest and be grateful for all I have. Look even at the small things that bring me joy. I do get upset about things...I am human and imperfect, but in the big scheme of things, I know that there is nothing that I cannot handle. So that is my long winded post. Again, thanks to all of you. Your support has been great these last two weeks. It is wonderful being able to talk to others who understand what I have been going thru!!!!


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Well, I'm sorry it was cancer, but it is a very small "speck" of it.  I think as along as you are very carefully monitored from here on out, that sounds like a good plan.


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## suzan30 (Sep 26, 2011)

Oh, my. I am so sorry to hear the results, but impressed that you are taking it so well. Single-mom power at work! It is great that it has been caught it so earlier and that your doc is taking a conservative approach.


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## sonnyjane (Oct 6, 2011)

Sorry to see this, but I'm glad you finally know! Now I'm curious to get my patho back on Thursday. Like I said in my other post, they've already found it to be papillary cancer, but I'm curious what else they say.

I'd think you're ok just monitoring the rest of your thyroid if that's what your doc suggests. Mine wanted to remove the whole thing but I think that may have been because I had several nodules throughout, even though they only tested the main 2.5 cm one.


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## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

joplin1975 said:


> Well, I'm sorry it was cancer, but it is a very small "speck" of it.  I think as along as you are very carefully monitored from here on out, that sounds like a good plan.


Yes, it was only 1.5 mm...so really, really small.


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## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

sonnyjane said:


> Sorry to see this, but I'm glad you finally know! Now I'm curious to get my patho back on Thursday. Like I said in my other post, they've already found it to be papillary cancer, but I'm curious what else they say.
> 
> I'd think you're ok just monitoring the rest of your thyroid if that's what your doc suggests. Mine wanted to remove the whole thing but I think that may have been because I had several nodules throughout, even though they only tested the main 2.5 cm one.


Well, I do hope it's the same as what they originally said. Mine was VERY small...only 1.5 mm...out of a 1.5 cm nodule. So the chances that anything spread are negligable. I'm not too concerned. It still feels weird thinking that I had cancer....it's such a nasty word....just glad it's gone. GL to you as well!!


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## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

suzan30 said:


> Oh, my. I am so sorry to hear the results, but impressed that you are taking it so well. Single-mom power at work! It is great that it has been caught it so earlier and that your doc is taking a conservative approach.


Yes, lol, like I said before, not much shocks me anymore. I could be told that I am growing an extra head and would be like..."oh, ok,cool."


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## I DClaire (Jul 31, 2011)

joplin1975 said:


> Well, I'm sorry it was cancer, but it is a very small "speck" of it.  I think as along as you are very carefully monitored from here on out, that sounds like a good plan.


Mine was a "speck" - 1.5 mm! My endocrinologist and surgeon both agreed there would be no RAI but I will be monitored every 3-4 months for at least a year. 1.5 mm is like the size of a pencil lead, I believe 1.5 cm is something like the size of a pencil eraser.

I had ultrasound and nuclear scans every six months for 2 1/2 years - then my surgeon said he never would have expected the condition my thyroid was in. He said (after total thyroidectomy) it was three times bigger than normal and "filled with" cysts and nodules. I knew about several nodules but that was all.

The surgeon said he was surprised I could swallow and breathe normally.

It was several weeks before I got a copy of my own pathology report. It is interesting reading. I find myself wondering how anyone ever found anything 1.5 mm in the shape my thyroid was in...but I surely am happy they did!


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## I DClaire (Jul 31, 2011)

animegeekmom said:


> Yes, lol, like I said before, not much shocks me anymore. I could be told that I am growing an extra head and would be like..."oh, ok,cool."


This could be something else you and I have in common! :confused0068: I think I've lost the capacity to be shocked by anything anymore. Whatever happens, I just go along with it.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Sorry to hear but glad you know for sure. Your attitude is amazing! Welcome to the "club", it grows every day it seems. You are in good company! I would love to know what causes all of this cancer in the thyroid...


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

P.S. I found reading the path report very interesting too.


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## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

I DClaire said:


> Mine was a "speck" - 1.5 mm! My endocrinologist and surgeon both agreed there would be no RAI but I will be monitored every 3-4 months for at least a year. 1.5 mm is like the size of a pencil lead, I believe 1.5 cm is something like the size of a pencil eraser.
> 
> I had ultrasound and nuclear scans every six months for 2 1/2 years - then my surgeon said he never would have expected the condition my thyroid was in. He said (after total thyroidectomy) it was three times bigger than normal and "filled with" cysts and nodules. I knew about several nodules but that was all.
> 
> ...


That's the same size mine was, too, 1.5 mm. The rest of the nodule was a benign adenoma. Wow, your thyroid was big, huh? I still have the right half of mine, and it does have a nodule on it, too, but it is 3 mm in size, is a cyst, and has stayed that size for a year, so my ENT is leaving the other half of my thyroid there and just monitoring me like yourself, every three to four months.


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## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

I DClaire said:


> This could be something else you and I have in common! :confused0068: I think I've lost the capacity to be shocked by anything anymore. Whatever happens, I just go along with it.


YES!!! That is exactly what I do...I just roll with it


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

animegeekmom said:


> My ENT called about 1/2 hour ago with my pathology report. And it was cancer. He said he was papillary microcarcinoma. The nodule removed was 1.5 cm, but the cancer itself was less than 1/2 of it. There seemed to be no spread to my lymph nodes. So, he said that they will keep an eye on me and that removing the rest of my thyroid isn't necessary. I'm going to pick up the report at the office for myself to read (I always do that lol). What do you knowledgable peers think of this action? There is another nodule on the other half of my thyroid, but it hasnt grown at all in the year that they have been observed and it's a cyst, not solid. My dr said that a lot of other dr's dont even consider papillary microcarcinoma to be a true cancer. I'm not freaking out at all. Just thinking about it. A lot has happened in my life that doesnt happen to most people in the last 6 months, so really nothing shocks me anymore. I told my mom and she burst out in tears...I had to calm her down lol!!! I told my best friend and she remarked, "Wow, you are taking this very well." I haved learned in the last few months that life is a precious gift. Live every day to the fullest and be grateful for all I have. Look even at the small things that bring me joy. I do get upset about things...I am human and imperfect, but in the big scheme of things, I know that there is nothing that I cannot handle. So that is my long winded post. Again, thanks to all of you. Your support has been great these last two weeks. It is wonderful being able to talk to others who understand what I have been going thru!!!!


As long as you are being monitored on a regular basis, you may be good to go. But you will have to stay on top of this. Many here have had to have 2nd. surgeries as the years have passed by from the first w/cancer diagnosis.

And a second opinion "never" hurts.

I hate this for you!


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## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

webster2 said:


> Sorry to hear but glad you know for sure. Your attitude is amazing! Welcome to the "club", it grows every day it seems. You are in good company! I would love to know what causes all of this cancer in the thyroid...


Hehe thanks for the welcome to the "club" lol. I was thinking that myself as well. There is no cancer in my immediate family. There has been cancer in my more extended family (great aunts, great uncles, 2nd cousins), but my immediate family is rather healthly. I am almost 30 years old, and I still have all four of my grandparents (oldest is 82), and all four of them are still independent and driving (cept my dad's dad, but for the most part is independent besides the driving thing). My mom's parents go to the gym a few times a week, still travel, etc. So it's weird to think that i would get it. There are theories to the rise in thyroid cancer, one being that there are better screening techniques than there ever were. But in reality, our bodies are so amazing, so woefully understood. We as humans have made so many advances in the last century that had never been seen by humans before for the million years that we have been around. So much more industry, medication use, chemicals, etc...so who knows what it could be. Who knows what causes that ONE cell to lose it's contact inhibition and have altered DNA and go rogue lol...


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## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

webster2 said:


> P.S. I found reading the path report very interesting too.


Yes! It is fascinating, but i'm a geek like that


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