Thyroid papillary carcinoma
Common Questions and Answers about Thyroid papillary carcinoma
armour-thyroid
If there is Papillary thyroid cancer anywhere in the neck, outside the thyroid, the minimal surgery is total thyroid removal and central compartment dissection. The next issue is a careful ultrasound evaulation of the rest of the neck to determine if lateral neck dissection is needed.
The rock-hard L lobe is very concerning as the possible "primary" tumor.
Extensive nuclear inclusions or nuclear grooves, papillary formations, and no colloid are suggestive of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Rare intranuclear inclusions or nuclear grooves alone in an otherwise benign specimen is probably not papillary thyroid carcinoma. CK19 (cytokeratin 19 - a strong staining of cell blocks) aids in accurate diagnosis of malignancy in uncertain cases. These two studies go into more detail...
s worth - I had the remaining half of my thyroid removed after my first surgery showed papillary carcinoma (and the rest of my family also had papillary carcinoma). I had a recurrence three years later. My Tg rose slightly (3x higher in six months) and my TSH continued to climb. I had 100mCi and, yes, it was a cancer recurrence. My sister has had to undergo RAI three times because of metastases and recurrences.
The most common form of thyroid cancer (papillary carcinoma) often has microcancers which are too small to show up on scans. I had a small (5mm) encapsulated tumor removed with a right lobectomy. A year later (because of family diagnoses of papillary carcinoma) I decided to have the left lobe removed which was completely free of nodules or cancer. Two years after the 2nd surgery I had a recurrence in the thyroid bed (and some in the liver).
Sometimes if it is classical papillary carcinoma and it is a very small, encapsulated area they will only take one lobe. However, papillary carcinoma is notorious for microcancers - areas of cancer so small they can't be readily identified.
I only had my right lobe removed. My papillary carcinoma was small (5mm) and encapsulated. There was no reason for them to take the rest out . . .
I have 8.0 mm Follicular Variant of papillary carcinoma my lyph nodes were clear, my cancer is not encapsulated and is .01cm from the painted external surface. the mid to superior thyroid contains diffuse pale grey-tan nodules (.01-.03 cm ).
My doctor doese not want me to take RAI because he told me that the cancer is too small. Need to know your suggestion in this matter.....
I-131 (we call it RAI for radioactive iodine). After surgery instead of chemo and radiation - like "other cancer" patients get, papillary carcinoma patients are usually given the RAI. The "good" thing about this type of cancer is it arises from thyroid cells and thyroid is the only tissue in the body that absorbs iodine - hence you radiate iodine the cancer is stupid enough to suck it up and kill itself off. Pretty cool, eh?
There are four of us in my family with papillary carcinoma. If the cancer was confined to the thyroid; following surgery doctors usually test the thyroglobulin (Tg) level and monitor it. A rise in Tg while on thyroid meds indicates a cancer recurrence.
Of the four of us two have not needed any additional treatment (other than thyroid meds; I had a recurrence and required RAI, my youngest sister required three doses of RAI.
Recommended
