Are treatments worse than the disease ?

MarinMark
MarinMark Member Posts: 148
in Thyroid Cancer #1
Hearing that people could have ptc for five to twenty years before they are diagnosed and treated, one wonders---- has the "TT" and rai and subsequent surgeries and rai's have extended lifespans ? Are the total treatments worse than the disease ?

Comments

  • amorriso
    amorriso Member Posts: 185
    #2
    treatment
    I have met thyroid survivors from 30 years ago, they are fine and thriving. I know for myself, if I did not undergo the surgeries or treatments I most likely would NOT be writing here and now. My tumors were pressing on my jugular veins - it was only a matter of time before blood supply was cut off.

    Plus remember - without a properly functioning thyroid your body would also at some point cease to function.

    I've never heard of anyone having ptc for five to twenty five years undiagnosed....one or two years yes - but thats it.

    The treatments are NOT that bad - yes you need surgery, yes you need RAI and yes you need to take pills for life.

    Compare it to having a bone marrow transplant, losing one or both breasts, legs, etc. OR even just being a diabetic - think of all the complications they endure.

    Yeah - we have cancer - you have to get it treated and thats that.

    andree
  • MarinMark
    MarinMark Member Posts: 148
    #3
    amorriso said:

    treatment
    I have met thyroid survivors from 30 years ago, they are fine and thriving. I know for myself, if I did not undergo the surgeries or treatments I most likely would NOT be writing here and now. My tumors were pressing on my jugular veins - it was only a matter of time before blood supply was cut off.

    Plus remember - without a properly functioning thyroid your body would also at some point cease to function.

    I've never heard of anyone having ptc for five to twenty five years undiagnosed....one or two years yes - but thats it.

    The treatments are NOT that bad - yes you need surgery, yes you need RAI and yes you need to take pills for life.

    Compare it to having a bone marrow transplant, losing one or both breasts, legs, etc. OR even just being a diabetic - think of all the complications they endure.

    Yeah - we have cancer - you have to get it treated and thats that.

    andree

    Amorriso--- admire your
    Amorriso--- admire your attitude and writing-communication skills.
  • nasher
    nasher Member Posts: 505 Member
    #4
    if treated life expectancy
    if treated life expectancy is normally as long as a healthy person

    if not treated...the life expectancy is normally less than 10 years.

    remember most the people you see posting are people who have had issues or re-occurrences.

    myself I had lots of issues. and you may see me posting here less since i am reading and learning a lot about vertigo and such at this time.. it took me 6+ months to learn most of what i know about thyroid cancer.. i figure about 1 year to figure out this vertigo stuff.. maybe less if they can tell me whats causing it.

    the thing about modern medicine is now they find things...

    it was probably only a few months that i had the goiter and such... and my body slowing down and gaining weight and such before the doctor noticed and started to question it.... 50 years ago they would have said i was getting fat and lazy.

    as any disease continues to affect people more obvious signs start to show up..

    remember 100 years ago if you lived to 40 and died it was listed as OLD AGE.


    in my personal opinion... living with restrictions and complaints and all is much better than being 6ft under
  • MarinMark
    MarinMark Member Posts: 148
    #5
    nasher said:

    if treated life expectancy
    if treated life expectancy is normally as long as a healthy person

    if not treated...the life expectancy is normally less than 10 years.

    remember most the people you see posting are people who have had issues or re-occurrences.

    myself I had lots of issues. and you may see me posting here less since i am reading and learning a lot about vertigo and such at this time.. it took me 6+ months to learn most of what i know about thyroid cancer.. i figure about 1 year to figure out this vertigo stuff.. maybe less if they can tell me whats causing it.

    the thing about modern medicine is now they find things...

    it was probably only a few months that i had the goiter and such... and my body slowing down and gaining weight and such before the doctor noticed and started to question it.... 50 years ago they would have said i was getting fat and lazy.

    as any disease continues to affect people more obvious signs start to show up..

    remember 100 years ago if you lived to 40 and died it was listed as OLD AGE.


    in my personal opinion... living with restrictions and complaints and all is much better than being 6ft under

    Very humorous
    "50 years ago they would have said i was getting fat and lazy." CLASSIC !!! Love it.

    Heard of a study in Germany where ptc which hadn't spread was not treated and they had good statistics. But can't get more info.

    You know, that is a worrisome thing here. The people who had good times, successful treatment, no side effects and so forth, don't make messages here nearly as much as the negative experiences.
  • sunnyaz
    sunnyaz Member Posts: 582
    #6
    nasher said:

    if treated life expectancy
    if treated life expectancy is normally as long as a healthy person

    if not treated...the life expectancy is normally less than 10 years.

    remember most the people you see posting are people who have had issues or re-occurrences.

    myself I had lots of issues. and you may see me posting here less since i am reading and learning a lot about vertigo and such at this time.. it took me 6+ months to learn most of what i know about thyroid cancer.. i figure about 1 year to figure out this vertigo stuff.. maybe less if they can tell me whats causing it.

    the thing about modern medicine is now they find things...

    it was probably only a few months that i had the goiter and such... and my body slowing down and gaining weight and such before the doctor noticed and started to question it.... 50 years ago they would have said i was getting fat and lazy.

    as any disease continues to affect people more obvious signs start to show up..

    remember 100 years ago if you lived to 40 and died it was listed as OLD AGE.


    in my personal opinion... living with restrictions and complaints and all is much better than being 6ft under

    I second that........
    I agree with both of these posts on every aspect.

    I found my cancer and had to insist that my doctor do something about it. I had all the signs of hypothryoidism. He didn't listen. I was just getting older and gaining weight. So what about the tiredness, dizziness and lack of tolerance to heat and cold? Well, that was age too. My butt! Some doctor's are on the ball and some are not. If not for modern medicine and my own instinct I would probably be dead, close to dead or have committed suicide by now. I just couldn't live with the symptoms.

    On the other hand, I know of two people that had the cancer, got their thyroid removed, had RAI and no other issues. Just take a pill and check levels every six months to a year. One of them is in her sixties and was diagnosed in the late 1970's in England. She is doing great.

    The moral of the story is that everyone is different. No two bodies will respond exactly the same or have exactly the same symptoms. People have actually been born without a thyroid if you can believe that. Yes, they probably take medication but they are well.

    Blessings,
    Julie-SunnyAZ
  • MarinMark
    MarinMark Member Posts: 148
    #7
    sunnyaz said:

    I second that........
    I agree with both of these posts on every aspect.

    I found my cancer and had to insist that my doctor do something about it. I had all the signs of hypothryoidism. He didn't listen. I was just getting older and gaining weight. So what about the tiredness, dizziness and lack of tolerance to heat and cold? Well, that was age too. My butt! Some doctor's are on the ball and some are not. If not for modern medicine and my own instinct I would probably be dead, close to dead or have committed suicide by now. I just couldn't live with the symptoms.

    On the other hand, I know of two people that had the cancer, got their thyroid removed, had RAI and no other issues. Just take a pill and check levels every six months to a year. One of them is in her sixties and was diagnosed in the late 1970's in England. She is doing great.

    The moral of the story is that everyone is different. No two bodies will respond exactly the same or have exactly the same symptoms. People have actually been born without a thyroid if you can believe that. Yes, they probably take medication but they are well.

    Blessings,
    Julie-SunnyAZ

    "On the other hand, I know
    "On the other hand, I know of two people that had the cancer, got their thyroid removed, had RAI and no other issues. Just take a pill and check levels every six months to a year. One of them is in her sixties and was diagnosed in the late 1970's in England. She is doing great."


    This is nice to know. Did they have metastases to any lymph nodes ?
  • sunnyaz
    sunnyaz Member Posts: 582
    #8
    MarinMark said:

    "On the other hand, I know
    "On the other hand, I know of two people that had the cancer, got their thyroid removed, had RAI and no other issues. Just take a pill and check levels every six months to a year. One of them is in her sixties and was diagnosed in the late 1970's in England. She is doing great."


    This is nice to know. Did they have metastases to any lymph nodes ?

    Lymph Metastasis
    No, neither one of them had any other issues. They are simply "cancer free" and have been for years. They are very lucky.
  • Phyllis900
    Phyllis900 Member Posts: 21
    #9
    that;s my case!
    I had been diagnosed with ptc in 2008. the biggest tumor they removed measured 5.25cm following with mutiple smaller tumors and 90++ lymph nodes. they did the extensive radical neck dissection and i was discharge the following day. on the surgical report, it was noted that the tumor has been in me for more than 10 years....it is impossible for papilary thyroid cancer to grow so big, but it did!! i had 3 rounds of RAI and 4th is coming soon :)

Discussion Boards