Tell me if you know anything about thyroid cancer?

[Deleted]

My aunt was diagnosed with thyroid cancer about 4 years ago. She went through chemo and then eventually had her thyroid removed. It was caught early, and she is doing just fine now.

I'm sorry to hear your family is dealing with this.

[Jermys]

I only know two people who have had it. Both had their thyroids removed. One happened like 20 years ago and the other happened like 30 years ago. They both take Synthroid and they're fine.

[Deleted]

Ditto everyone else, the prognosis is generally very good.

[meganew]

My mom had it. She had her thyroid removed in the 80's and has been fine ever since. She takes medication to level out her metabolism and that's about it. I think (*think*) the success rate for beating this type of cancer might be so high, google might actually be your friend.

I remember her telling me about it when I was little, and me spending about a week staring at her legs trying to find the missing thigh-roid. Derp.

[Deleted]

My good friend since Jr.High (and our Pediatrician) had thyroid cancer in her late 20's...maybe she was 30?

Google also freaked her out...and she's a Dr. So yes, stay away.

She has been in remission for over 4 years now and leading a completely normal life!

[ILikeSloths]

Another success story: My sister had thyroid cancer about 15-20 years ago when she was in her early 20s. She had her thyroid removed, takes medication, and has been fine ever since.

[orangeblossom]

It is very treatable. The numbers have skyrocketed in the past ten years or so. Experts are not sure it's better detection or what. A lot of cysts and modules are found incidentally when looking for something else.

Normally they will remove it and do some type of radiation to kill the rest of the thyroid cells. Then a person will take synthroid for the rest of their lives. Every five years or so they'll have a scan to make sure everything is okay. In most cases surgery as radiation is all that's needed. However, like any cancer there are more aggressive forms and chemo will be needed. I want to say the cure rate is 90+ percent.

My sister had thyroid cancer when was 12 and has been fine for the most part. Some tweaking of her meds, but that's it.

If you have to google stick to mayo, webmd, American cancer society, NIH, and CDC. I think there's even a website called thyroid.org, but don't quote me.

Good luck to your family member.

[Deleted]

My uncle had it but it's gone now. It took surgery and radiation/iodine treatment. But he's a-okay and was back to surfing only a little bit later

[revolution]

My work bff had it a couple years ago. She had her thyroid removed and some radiation and iodine treatment. SHe's fantastic now! she gets ultrasounds on her throat once or twice a year to check stuff out but she is perfect.

I agree with heybetch - google is not your friend in this case.

[underwaterrhymes]

Another success story. My friend had it about 10 years ago. They removed her thyroid and she's on meds, but she's cancer-free and doing super!

[interro]

It is typically very treatable! My XH and XSIL both had it - she in her teens, he in his early 30s - and both had their thyroid gland removed, went through radiation therapy, and are now cancer-free and take Synthroid. Several women I went to college with also had thyroid cancer and went through a similar treatment process and all have recovered and are still cancer-free.

Thinking of your relative, I hope all goes smoothly for their treatment and recovery!

[firedancer49]

Almost all of the women in my family have had it, and they all just had their removed. They are fine now, and just take daily meds.

[eb777888]

My grandpa had it. When I read up on it, I read that it's one of the most curable cancers out there with the lowest mortality rate.

[DefenseAgainstTheDarkArts22]

My dad had it and had to have his thyroid removed, a radiation treatment and is now on daily meds. All is good as long as he remembers to take his pills. If not, he gets really mean.

[flamingeaux]

Aug 7, 2012 9:13:30 GMT -5 DefenseAgainstTheDarkArts22 said:

My dad had it and had to have his thyroid removed, a radiation treatment and is now on daily meds. All is good as long as he remembers to take his pills. If not, he gets really mean.

I've not had thyroid cancer, but I do get super pissy, if I miss my pills. There's things that catch me off guard when i find out they're related to my thyroid problems, but it's nothing that can't be dealt with.

[jaylea]

Just adding another success story. My old boss was Dxed in her 30's. She had 4 young kids at the time.

She had the radioactive treatment (and isotope?) and had to stay away from them for a few days, and then was good to go.

Still healthy, 8 years later.

[eightangryreindeer]

I know it's highly treatable. My father and sister have both had issues - dad had his removed many years ago and takes synthroid, my sister has had several nodules (benign thus far) removed.

Don't panic.

[lmbml]

My dad had/ has it. He had a lump in his neck, they took it out and then told him it was cancerous, then a week or so they took out his thyroid. He takes synthroid daily, he goes to Mayo every month, he is in a drug trail there. He has done radioactive iodine a few times. He also has a few other health problems. He has a few cancer nodules in his lungs, but the trail drugs have shrunk them by over 20% in 4 months.

His first Dr. said if you're going to get cancer that thyroid is the best one to get , it's very treatable!

[acr]

I had thyroid cancer. No big deal for me - had my thyroid removed, go get checked every year, take thyroid meds. My dr told me if you have to pick a cancer, this is the one to pick.

[sprky79]

My friend's wife had it and it was truly nbd. She had her thyroid removed, had a weekend of radiation, and all has been fine since.

[eb777888]

And I feel stupid. Treatable, not curable.