as i mentioned in my last blog, i told my gynecologist that someone who had anaplastic thyroid cancer would certainly not think that thyroid cancer was " the good cancer". the fact that he seemed confused, and seem not to know that there are several different types of thyroid cancer, was the inspiration for this blog. i know that most thyroid cancer patients know that there are different types, but i thought that it might be a good idea to discuss each particular type of thyroid cancer. this will be another mini series of blogs relating to the same issue. each type of thyroid cancer will have it's own blog, and i will provide the information that i have on each type of thyroid cancer. details on new treatments for and research on treating the different types of thyroid cancer may not be available to me now, so please do not think that what i have to say about the different types is the definitive last word, so to speak. and i probably do not have all of the information, but i will give you what i have.
and, it depends on what sources you are consulting, as to how many types of thyroid cancer are defined. some sources say four, some say five. some cancers, such as papillary, have different variants, but are grouped under the umbrella of just papillary. i will mention these variants briefly. staging is very tricky and a little complicated. i am not going to go into this, as it would take several blogs to cover it. if you are interested in staging, or if your physician has not told you your stage( i would advise that you ask your physician, first, of course) there is a detailed breakdown of staging on the thyca. website. every thyroid cancer patient should make thyca.org their friend.
i have decided to discuss four of the various types of thyroid cancer. and i will briefly mention any variants of these main groups. the groups are as follows: papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic. some people have just one, and some, like me, have a combination of the above mentioned types.
at this point in my introduction, i can not stress enough the importance of being your best own patient advocate. be informed by reputable websites, books, and knowledgeable health care professionals. know your type of thyroid cancer, stage, and best treatment options. keep all of your test results, and overviews of office visits in a notebook for easy reference. i mentioned this in a blog that i wrote some time ago, but one time my endocrinologist was missing some test results in my folder that she needed to see. it seems that her office had switched computer program systems, and the test result that she needed to see had been deleted. i happened to have my " thyroid book" with me, and poof, there was the test that she needed! your doctor has many other patients- you are not the only one she/he has to take care of. take care of yourself by being informed. it is the best piece of medical advice that i can give to anyone.
one thing holds true for any patient who has/had thyroid cancer. it is a life long condition. it requires constant testing and monitoring for recurrences. ( which can occur decades after the initial thyroid cancer diagnosis.) there is also regular blood work done to make sure that patients' TSH is suppressed, if need be, for example. T3, free T4 and other tests also are important and certainly affect the quality of life. it is a roller coaster ride for almost everyone, with frequent dosage changes being the aggravating norm. thank goodness for thyroid hormone supplements, but nothing can compare to the thyroid hormone made by a healthy thyroid gland.
enough of the introduction. my next blog will discuss papillary thyroid cancer.
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