Thyroid Cancer

In April of 2007, during a weekend camping outing with family and friends, I awoke one morning and discovered that I was very hoarse and that I was losing my voice.  I really thought nothing of it, and thought that maybe the smoke from the campfire the night before had irritated my throat.  My voice eventually came back later that day, we packed up the camper and headed home, and I didn’t give it another thought.  A few days later, while answering the phone at work, I suddenly lost my voice again.  Again, I brushed it off as maybe a spring allergy or possibly still some irritation from campfire smoke.  The following week, during a doctor’s visit for a knee problem, my physician thought that my neck looked “full” and suggested that I go for an ultrasound.  Once again, I really didn’t think anything of this…after all I felt fine, my voice had returned, and the only pain I was experiencing was in my knee.  However, I did go for my ultrasound as she recommended, and was quite surprised when she told me that they had discovered two nodules in my thyroid gland.  She then referred me to an endocrinologist.

At this point, a little bit of concern started creeping into my mind.  My endocrinologist informed me that one of my nodules was the size of a pea, and one was the size of a pencil lead.  To this day, I am still amazed that my family doctor noticed that my neck looked full given that these nodules were very small, and also that I could not even feel them myself.  I was informed by my endocrinologist that most of the time these nodules are nothing serious, however, they did need to be biopsied to be sure.  I then underwent a needle biopsy and, unfortunately, my biopsy was inconclusive.  The only way to be sure about these nodules was to undergo surgery and have them removed.  My surgeon suggested removing only the portion of my thyroid gland that contained the nodules, and that if they were cancerous he would have to perform a second surgery to remove my entire thyroid gland.  It made no sense to me to undergo two procedures when I could have it removed during the first surgery, so I instructed him to do a total thyroidectomy.  Approximately a week after the surgery I got the call that changed my life forever—I had Stage One Papillary Thyroid Cancer.  I remember being shocked, scared and in a state of complete disbelief and denial.  In my mind cancer was something that happens to other people—not me.  I then started down the long road of treatment with radiation therapy, PET scans, yearly ultrasounds and whole body scans, and daily medication.  I now know that the voice loss and hoarseness I was experiencing with my voice were the first symptoms of thyroid cancer.

Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common type of thyroid cancer and accounts for approximately 80 percent of all thyroid cancers.  Papillary thyroid cancer grows very slowly, and can spread to the lymph nodes in the neck and other parts of the body.  If detected early, however, the long-term survival rate is very high—over 90 percent.  There is a 30 percent recurrence rate, however, so I will continue to be monitored for the rest of my life.  As with many forms of cancer, early detection is the key to successful treatment.  If your family physician does not already do a “neck check” at your yearly physical, then ask him or her to do one.  Some of the more common symptoms of thyroid cancer are:

*A lump or swelling in your neck.

*Pain in your neck and sometimes in your ears.

*Difficulty swallowing.

*Difficulty breathing or constant wheezing.

*Hoarseness that is not related to cold.

*A cough that continues and is not related to a cold.

Thyroid cancer is a part of my daily life now, but I refuse to let it take control of my life—I am in control, not cancer.  It has taught me to appreciate each and every day that I am still here, to cherish my family, live every day to its fullest and to live my life for me.

For more information regarding thyroid cancer, please visit www.thyca.org and www.checkyourneck.com.

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