# Thyroglobulin Levels



## cpababe (Mar 30, 2014)

I had a partial thyroidectomy on 1/8 to remove a 2.7cm nodule. A second nodule was found and both turned out to be the follicular variant of papillary cancer. I had the completion surgery on 2/26. Twelve days later my thyroglobulin level was 8 while on 25mg of Cytomel, 1/2 a pill twice per day. I was then switched to 100mg of Synthroid and stopped the Cytomel. One month later, prior to Thyrogen shots in preparation for RAI my thyroglobulin level had dropped to 1.1. I had RAI treatment two days later and two days after that threatment my thyroglobulin level was up to 4.2. I'm wonder why it went up. Is it because the test after the RAI was a "stimulated" thyroglobulin level? I thought it was suppose to be undetectable after RAI. Does this mean the RAI failed? Why do I still have detectable thyroglobulin if all my thyroid tissue was, at least theorectically, destroyed? My antibodies have been consistenly 0.1 on each test so they are not interfering with the results. I appreciate any thoughts anyone has on this.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

First, yes, the post-thyrogen level is absolutely due to being stimulated. Thyrogen will do that & it's often why it's used in conjunction with blood tests. They consider it a way to enhance the blood tests.

Secondly, RAI will work over a a period of months. Your thyroid tissue is still being destroyed. You would not expect you Tg to drop immediately. In fact, my docs didn't even bother drawing blood after RAI because there was no point...and my medical bills were high enough. Look at it, minimally, at the 6 month mark, but especially at the 12 month mark.

Also , remember "undetectable" is generally consider under 2.0. You may never get to zero. So, those results in the immediate sense are really great.


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## cpababe (Mar 30, 2014)

Thanks for the info! I emailed by endocrinologist/oncologist and she said pretty much the same thing. I didn't expect to hear from her that fast since it was the weekend. She is AMAZING!!!!! So I won't worry now hearing this from both of you. I'm so looking forward to going off the LID after the post treatment scans tommorrow and the test results made me afraid I wouldn't get to do so.


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