Thyroid Ultrasound

RudiTuesday
RudiTuesday Member Posts: 15
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Hello. I'm new here but have been creeping around this discussion board for maybe a year. I was originally diagnosed with colon cancer in February of 2018. I've had several surgeries and have been through chemo and radiation. My most recent surgery was in November of 2020 to remove a nodule on the lower part of my left lung. Last week I had a routine 3 month CT scan. The radiologist noted that my thyroid looked enlarged. My oncologist actually rolled his eyes when he told me that radiology requested that I have a thyroid ultrasound. Does anyone have experience with this? It really came out of left field for me. I was expecting maybe a colon recurrence but not a possible  thyroid issue!

Comments

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    edited January 2021 #2
    Welcome to the forum

    It sounds like you have been through enough, so here's hoping that the thyroid doesn't become an issue. 

    While I have heard of Thyroid Cancer, I have not heard of it connected to Colon Cancer, so maybe Hypothyroid (which is common) or Hyper.   While a pain becasue it means daily medication, is better than Cancer. 

    Of course, I don't know everything, and maybe others here have a connection between their Cancer and Thyroid. 

    Keep us informed and good luck. 

    Tru

     

  • RudiTuesday
    RudiTuesday Member Posts: 15
    edited January 2021 #3
    Thanks for the welcome

    Hi Tru, I'm not surprised that you were the first to reply. I've been reading this board for some time now and have noticed that you are always so encouraging and knowledgeable. My ultrasound is scheduled for next Monday, with results on Tuesday. I will certainly post a follow up then.

  • NewHere
    NewHere Member Posts: 1,429 Member
    edited January 2021 #4
    Good Move Getting The Scan

    Like Tru said, it could be other thngs, but worthwhile to get checked out.  Do not let the eye roll throw you off.   Like everything involving cancer, there MAY be a connection with colon cancer/thyroid cancer (I was looking at this today, but for other cancers),  but you should not worry about it too much.  

    https://www.cancer.org/cancer/thyroid-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html#:~:text=Higher%20rates%20of%20thyroid%20cancer,cancers%2C%20including%20papillary%20thyroid%20cancer.

    Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP): People with this syndrome develop many colon polyps and have a very high risk of colon cancer. They also have an increased risk of some other cancers, including papillary thyroid cancer. Gardner syndrome is a subtype of FAP in which patients also get certain benign tumors. Both Gardner syndrome and FAP are caused by defects in the gene APC

    https://columbiasurgery.org/thyroid/thyroid-cancer-risk-factors

    Papillary thyroid cancer can be genetically linked and may also be associated with inherited forms of colon cancer, breast cancer, and goiters.  Most cases of papillary thyroid cancer are not genetic in nature, though.

     

    .

  • SnapDragon2
    SnapDragon2 Member Posts: 720 Member
    edited January 2021 #5
    Why did he roll his eyes at

    Why did he roll his eyes at you???  That would piss me off.

    My thyroid ultraound also came back quesionable (enlrged with nodules).  Thyroid specialist said lets wait and see, not go by the guidelines.  I got a 2nd opinion and will have the followup biopsy.

     

    Yes, you are on the right track with an ultrasound.  Good luck!

  • RudiTuesday
    RudiTuesday Member Posts: 15
    edited January 2021 #6
    NewHere said:

    Good Move Getting The Scan

    Like Tru said, it could be other thngs, but worthwhile to get checked out.  Do not let the eye roll throw you off.   Like everything involving cancer, there MAY be a connection with colon cancer/thyroid cancer (I was looking at this today, but for other cancers),  but you should not worry about it too much.  

    https://www.cancer.org/cancer/thyroid-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html#:~:text=Higher%20rates%20of%20thyroid%20cancer,cancers%2C%20including%20papillary%20thyroid%20cancer.

    Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP): People with this syndrome develop many colon polyps and have a very high risk of colon cancer. They also have an increased risk of some other cancers, including papillary thyroid cancer. Gardner syndrome is a subtype of FAP in which patients also get certain benign tumors. Both Gardner syndrome and FAP are caused by defects in the gene APC

    https://columbiasurgery.org/thyroid/thyroid-cancer-risk-factors

    Papillary thyroid cancer can be genetically linked and may also be associated with inherited forms of colon cancer, breast cancer, and goiters.  Most cases of papillary thyroid cancer are not genetic in nature, though.

     

    .

    Thank you for the links

    I have also been doing Internet research today. I'm a bit of a slow thinker and had to spend this past weekend focused on sports and finding new recipes to try, basically anything not cancer related. After taking a couple of days off, I'm now in a better mindset to educate myself. I appreciate your help and I'll keep you posted. 

  • RudiTuesday
    RudiTuesday Member Posts: 15
    edited January 2021 #7
    SnapDragon2 said:

    Why did he roll his eyes at

    Why did he roll his eyes at you???  That would piss me off.

    My thyroid ultraound also came back quesionable (enlrged with nodules).  Thyroid specialist said lets wait and see, not go by the guidelines.  I got a 2nd opinion and will have the followup biopsy.

     

    Yes, you are on the right track with an ultrasound.  Good luck!

    The eye roll wasn't aimed at me

    even though we were the only two people in the room, I think he was rolling his eyes in response to the radiologist. Have you ever taken your car to a mechanic for something minor like an oil change and then the mechanic found other things wrong with your car? That's how it felt. I had a CT scan to follow-up for colon cancer and walked out with a thyroid issue. Anyway, I'm doing my research and getting the ultrasound. If this is one more thing I have to deal with, I will certainly educate myself do whatever it takes to deal with it!

    I hope your follow up biopsy goes well. Good luck to you as well!

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    edited January 2021 #8
    Welcome

    I'm glad that you finally decided to join us, and hope you did find much support and information from our group while you were just looking without joining.  You have come to a really great group that can help you get through a lot, but it seems like you have already been through the initial shock.  My thyroid enlarged about 25 years ago, but it had nothing to do with cancer.  After being treated and on medication for several years, the other thyroid did the job of both, so it's totally normal now.  See what they want to do and go from there.  It could be nothing, but like Tru said, I've not heard of it spreading to the thyroid either.  Wishing you the best.

    Kim

  • RudiTuesday
    RudiTuesday Member Posts: 15
    #9
    Annabelle41415 said:

    Welcome

    I'm glad that you finally decided to join us, and hope you did find much support and information from our group while you were just looking without joining.  You have come to a really great group that can help you get through a lot, but it seems like you have already been through the initial shock.  My thyroid enlarged about 25 years ago, but it had nothing to do with cancer.  After being treated and on medication for several years, the other thyroid did the job of both, so it's totally normal now.  See what they want to do and go from there.  It could be nothing, but like Tru said, I've not heard of it spreading to the thyroid either.  Wishing you the best.

    Kim

    I do feel welcome here

    I'm also glad that I finally decided to to join this group. I am not a social media person and usually keep to myself, but I was counting on this group to be supportive and informative. I was not wrong! Thank you for sharing your experience, I know that we each have our own personal road to travel but it's nice to know that you have been down a similar path and are doing well. 

  • NewHere
    NewHere Member Posts: 1,429 Member
    #10
    RudiTuesday said:

    The eye roll wasn't aimed at me

    even though we were the only two people in the room, I think he was rolling his eyes in response to the radiologist. Have you ever taken your car to a mechanic for something minor like an oil change and then the mechanic found other things wrong with your car? That's how it felt. I had a CT scan to follow-up for colon cancer and walked out with a thyroid issue. Anyway, I'm doing my research and getting the ultrasound. If this is one more thing I have to deal with, I will certainly educate myself do whatever it takes to deal with it!

    I hope your follow up biopsy goes well. Good luck to you as well!

    Okay We Are Not Quite As Mad About the Eye Roll ;)

    We will let it go this time.  But if it happens again, we will all yell at him for you Laughing

  • RudiTuesday
    RudiTuesday Member Posts: 15
    #11
    NewHere said:

    Okay We Are Not Quite As Mad About the Eye Roll ;)

    We will let it go this time.  But if it happens again, we will all yell at him for you Laughing

    I'm giggling,

    thanks for making me smile ?. So many people don't know how to reply when they learn of my cancer so I do everything I can to remind them that I am not my cancer. I am still myself, I love sports, I love food, I love being with family, and I love to laugh. As for my oncologist, in spite of the eye roll, he is a good guy but it's nice to know that you've got my back if he should ever cross me!

  • ellend
    ellend Member Posts: 109 Member
    edited February 2021 #12
    thyroid issues

    One of my follow-up CT scans detected some nodules in my thyroid. My oncologist thought it might be worthwhile to get an ultrasound done because it can better determine the nature of the nodules. They didn't look that suspicious, but a couple were pretty large (between 2 and 3 cm). The ultrasound technician said that nodule were pretty common, especially in women over 50. Something like 1 in 3 people have them and most are benign.

    I was referred to a thyroid surgeon who biopsied the two larger ones and thankfully, they came back as benign, though he did warn me that it doesn't completely rule out cancer. This was a couple of years ago and I had been going to get them checked every 6 months or so. As long as they didn't change size, it was a wait and see.  At my appointment in November, one of them "grew" from 2.5 to 2.9 cm and was up against my trachea. I had a thyroidectomy in December. I haven't heard anything regarding the pathology report, but I assume all is well, or they would have said something.

    I think it is good you are getting it checked out and hope that whatever the issue is can be resolved easily. I hope my experience gives you a little peace of mind.

    Ellen

     

  • RudiTuesday
    RudiTuesday Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2021 #13
    Thyroid Update

    I had my thyroid ultrasound a couple of weeks ago and met today with an endocrinologist. She told me that based on the ultrasound, she believes the nodules are benign. Having said that, she told me that they like to biopsy anything over 1cm. Mine is 1.6cm. I'm in the process of setting up a needle biopsy. I was told that having colon cancer does not increase the risk of thyroid cancer. The probability of my having thyroid cancer is about 5%. If the growth is cancerous, they will remove the thyroid,  no chemo or radiation involved. If the thyroid is removed, then synthroid will be prescribed. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and advice.  Stay tuned, to be continued...

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