Confused!

AlexM
AlexM Member Posts: 18
in Thyroid Cancer #1
Hi Everyone,

I am a bit confused about something..Hoping someone can help. I posted here a while back about having noduels on my thyroid but normal Levels and your responses we're both helpful and very appriciated.
I had a biopsy on the largest of my three noduels. That came back "Follicular Neoplasm". The surgeon stated that this didn't necessarily mean cancer but they have to take it out for futher testing. Which is fine surgery booked Jan 10th. However i've been creeping around on here and am getting the impression that "Follicular Neoplasm" does mean cancer???..Is this right?...Was I given false information from my surgeon?. I haven't been able to find any helpful info online so your input would be GREATLY appriciated. :)
Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays
Alex :)

Comments

  • lec2011
    lec2011 Member Posts: 14
    #2
    FN
    I have heard that a follicular neoplasm is 70 percent chance NOT cancer and 30 percent chance that it is cancer. I have no idea myself. I have heard it both ways as well.
  • AlexM
    AlexM Member Posts: 18
    #3
    lec2011 said:

    FN
    I have heard that a follicular neoplasm is 70 percent chance NOT cancer and 30 percent chance that it is cancer. I have no idea myself. I have heard it both ways as well.

    Thank you!

    Thank you!
  • sunnyaz
    sunnyaz Member Posts: 582
    #4
    AlexM said:

    Thank you!

    Thank you!

    Hi Alex
    Follicular is a type of Thyroid Cancer and the word Neoplasm is a medical term for cancer. I am in the field and when we use diagnosis codes for this we use Neoplasm to refer to cancer. I don't mean to scare you or be the bearer of bad news but my guess is that it is cancer.
    Keeping you in my prayers,
    Julie-SunnyAZ
  • csm2007
    csm2007 Member Posts: 25
    #5
    Follicular Neoplasm
    Hello AlexM,

    I was given a DX of Follicular Neoplasm detected at first as well. I had my first surgery to remove my left side and a tumor that was 4.5 cm and was given the 80% benign and 20% cancer speech. Regretfully, a week later I was in the 20% percent. I had Follicular Hurthle Cell Carcinoma. They went in to remove my other side a month later, and found tall cell papillary carcinoma 1.5 cm. HOWEVER, I have spoken to members about this and read here on the boards that you can get the Follicular neoplasm detected; additional pathology needed DX and still get a benign adenoma outcome. IT IS POSSIBLE! The follicular neoplasm DX is DIFFICULT and cancer cannot be determined by a FNA alone in most cases. Almost always they will go in and remove the nodule/tumor and either do a frozen section in surgery that day or close you up and have you find out the final pathology a few days later. (I had the frozen section done during my surgery and it was inconclusive as well, then found out from the oncologist a week later it was cancer.) I know it is hard to wait for the surgery to get DX of what is really happening, hang in there! Best of luck to you in your journey....
  • lec2011
    lec2011 Member Posts: 14
    #6
    csm2007 said:

    Follicular Neoplasm
    Hello AlexM,

    I was given a DX of Follicular Neoplasm detected at first as well. I had my first surgery to remove my left side and a tumor that was 4.5 cm and was given the 80% benign and 20% cancer speech. Regretfully, a week later I was in the 20% percent. I had Follicular Hurthle Cell Carcinoma. They went in to remove my other side a month later, and found tall cell papillary carcinoma 1.5 cm. HOWEVER, I have spoken to members about this and read here on the boards that you can get the Follicular neoplasm detected; additional pathology needed DX and still get a benign adenoma outcome. IT IS POSSIBLE! The follicular neoplasm DX is DIFFICULT and cancer cannot be determined by a FNA alone in most cases. Almost always they will go in and remove the nodule/tumor and either do a frozen section in surgery that day or close you up and have you find out the final pathology a few days later. (I had the frozen section done during my surgery and it was inconclusive as well, then found out from the oncologist a week later it was cancer.) I know it is hard to wait for the surgery to get DX of what is really happening, hang in there! Best of luck to you in your journey....

    Follicular Neoplasm
    Well my follicular neoplasm turned out to be cancer so the 80/20 is certainly interesting because I too am now in the 20 percent. Please let us know how yours turns out.I hope you are one of the 80! If you ever need to talk or want more information please fell free to contact me as I have been on this roller coaster for two years now. I have been so confused until today. Best of luck to you!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #7
    lec2011 said:

    Follicular Neoplasm
    Well my follicular neoplasm turned out to be cancer so the 80/20 is certainly interesting because I too am now in the 20 percent. Please let us know how yours turns out.I hope you are one of the 80! If you ever need to talk or want more information please fell free to contact me as I have been on this roller coaster for two years now. I have been so confused until today. Best of luck to you!

    What have been your symptoms

    I have had FNA biopsies done, 4 seperate times in the last 3 years. Mixed nodules - 2 largest ones 2 - 3 cm in size. All negative results up until this morning. The second largest nodule tested positive : Follicular Neoplasm (?)  Ultra sound is next. (for size and appearance)...I have had many symptoms over the years, with negative results and have come to the conclusion that all, were mind games, perhaps?  What were your symptoms over all? Did you notice a difference once F.N. was detected?How are you, today?(April 17 2013)    ....Mixed Bag in Ottawa, Canada

  • mhc4165
    mhc4165 Member Posts: 46
    #8
    csm2007 said:

    Follicular Neoplasm
    Hello AlexM,

    I was given a DX of Follicular Neoplasm detected at first as well. I had my first surgery to remove my left side and a tumor that was 4.5 cm and was given the 80% benign and 20% cancer speech. Regretfully, a week later I was in the 20% percent. I had Follicular Hurthle Cell Carcinoma. They went in to remove my other side a month later, and found tall cell papillary carcinoma 1.5 cm. HOWEVER, I have spoken to members about this and read here on the boards that you can get the Follicular neoplasm detected; additional pathology needed DX and still get a benign adenoma outcome. IT IS POSSIBLE! The follicular neoplasm DX is DIFFICULT and cancer cannot be determined by a FNA alone in most cases. Almost always they will go in and remove the nodule/tumor and either do a frozen section in surgery that day or close you up and have you find out the final pathology a few days later. (I had the frozen section done during my surgery and it was inconclusive as well, then found out from the oncologist a week later it was cancer.) I know it is hard to wait for the surgery to get DX of what is really happening, hang in there! Best of luck to you in your journey....

    University Of Penn Thyroid Cytopathologists Found 79% Of Follicu

    Here is a link to a January 2013 PubMed article  called, Oncocytic Follicular Nodules Of The Thyroid With Or Without Chronic Lymphocytic Thyrroiditis:An Institutional Experience by many doctors all at University of Penn and two of them  are top thyroid cytopathologists I sopke to,DR.Virgina Livolsi and Dr.Zubair Baloch who both called me back. Dr.Baloch gave me my second opinion on my then benign FNA results of all 3 of my thyroid nodules in July 2008 a month after another endo who isn't at university of Penn,did my first FNA . And they found that 79% of these follicular neoplasms with oncocytic features,after surgical follow up out of 269 cases,were benign.

     

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