FYI: Thyroid Cancer

Last month was Thyroid Cancer Awareness month and would you know that I forgot write a post. Never fear. It's not too late to let you in on some interesting thyroid facts and how you can do a thyroid check at home. Here is some information I have gotten from a thyroid newsletter written by Mary Shomon at thyroid.about.com:

The American Cancer Society estimates that 37,340 new cases of thyroid cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year, most of them in women.

An estimated 1,590 people will die of thyroid cancer during 2008. Thyroid cancer is, however, considered one of the least deadly and most survivable cancers, and 5-year survival rates for thyroid cancer is almost 97%.

Thyroid cancer is more common in younger people, and nearly two-thirds of those diagnosed with thyroid cancer are between the ages of 20 and 55.

Thyroid cancer is one of the few cancers on the rise in recent years, with a growth rate of about 6% a year since 1997. Many experts believe that the increase is primarily due to greater use of thyroid ultrasound, which is better able to detect previously malignant thyroid nodules that, in the past, likely went undetected.

Here are the steps for doing a thyroid self-check: **important note: This will not rule out thyroid disease or thyroid cancer. For accurate diagnosis, please see your physician**

1. Stand in front of a mirror

2. Stretch neck back

3. Swallow water

4. Look for enlargement in neck (below the Adam's Apple, above the collar bone)

5. Feel area to confirm enlargement or bump

6. If any problem is detected, see a doctor

September Is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month

I got my lab results in the mail a day or two ago. I had been on my scrip of 2-5mcg of cytomel a day along with 1-137mcg of levothroid for about two months. Anyways, I was able to look up my lab results via the internet, but it didn't have enough information for me. Most of my lab results online come with some kind of notation. For some reason, that's not the case with my pcp and my endo. Both of whom I really don't care for. I mean it's great that my pcp did some tests when I told her that I was still suffering from some symptoms plus a mean case of indigestion. I GUESS my endo was ok for going along with my decision to go on combination therapy even though she was against it. But, you all KNOW I'm not a fan of Kaiser and most of their doctors.

My lab results are these:

Tri-Iodothyronine 128 70-200 (ng/dL)

T4 Free 1.2 0.8-1.7(ng/dL)

TSH, 3rd Generation .086(*) 0.2-5.5(uIU/mL)





In the letter it said that there's too much thyroid replacement and to do what I've been doing with the exception of changing half tablet of Levothroid on Saturday AND Sunday. Then I'm to get another level check in 2 months (around Nov. 2 it states).



Before going on the Cytomel, my TSH was 1.2, and I knew that I wanted to be at around 1.0 or just under. But because I'm under more than I should be, I'm feeling rather tired again. Actually, I don't know if that's the true cause, but with too much thyroid replacement, a person who is hypothyroid can become hyperthyroid.

1. Stand in front of a mirror

2. Stretch neck back

3. Swallow water

4. Look for enlargement in neck (below the Adam's Apple, above the collar bone)

5. Feel area to confirm enlargement or bump

6. If any problem is detected, see an doctor