What caused your thyroid cancer?
That was almost 4 years ago so there may be more recent studies that point in other directions but I still hold to the radiation exposure theory. Perhaps my chronically enlarged lymph nodes in my neck were irradiated when I was a child...my mother has no recollection of it, though.
I eventually arrived at a pet theory about mine, probably a little far fetched but here goes.
Back in the late 80s I built a large steel sailboat in my backyard, doing about 99 percent of the welding by myself. Since I wasn't a pro weldor it was a part time effort, usually spending an hour or two in the afternoons after work and many more hours during weekends. Many of the short welding sessions were done when I could grab a little extra time, and I rarely wore ALL of the recommended safety gear. I used a welding helmet, of course, but many times I was in my shirt sleeves. I soon learned how much exposure to the welding arc my skin could tolerate without getting "sun" burned...10 or 15 minutes, perhaps, so I wasn't too concerned.
It was around this time that I started needing bifocal glasses. When a pro weldor reaches that stage he will either get corrective lenses built into his helmet or he'll get upside down bifocal glasses, with the "reading" lenses at the top. Welding helmets not only protect the eyes and face, they extend down several inches to protect the lower neck and upper chest. In order to see the weld through the dark lens someone wearing ordinary bifocals has to raise his head so he will be looking through the "reading" lenses. Upside down bifocals encourage the proper use of the helmet, head down, with the lower portion of the helmet protecting the neck and chest.
Since I had no intention of doing this professionally I used a standard helmet and ordinary bifocals. This meant my lower neck was exposed to the arc light and heat, a portion of which is UV rays that would leave me with mild sunburn. I had to raise my head to see the weld which brought the helmet up away from my neck and upper chest.
If this is where my cancer got its start I would think there may be a higher instance of thyroid cancers in people who spent some time as arc weldors, either professionally or as part-timers like myself.
Comments
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The only thing I've had to
The only thing I've had to think of as a cause for me is smoking. I've had no previous radiation exposure axcept for 1 x-ray they did on my knee when I was in 7th grade. other than that... I'm currently trying to quit smoking. I've had some PCP's give me problems when I tell them I have thyroid cancer (this was while I was looking for a new Primary Care Provider) because they say "You're too young to have thyroid cancer... are you sure it's cancer and not thyroid complications?" so i just kept searching to find one who before they got my records did not completely question my own knowledge of my own health.
Sorry, I know this wasn't much help... However, I, too wonder.. lol
Sally0 -
Smoker tooSally08 said:The only thing I've had to
The only thing I've had to think of as a cause for me is smoking. I've had no previous radiation exposure axcept for 1 x-ray they did on my knee when I was in 7th grade. other than that... I'm currently trying to quit smoking. I've had some PCP's give me problems when I tell them I have thyroid cancer (this was while I was looking for a new Primary Care Provider) because they say "You're too young to have thyroid cancer... are you sure it's cancer and not thyroid complications?" so i just kept searching to find one who before they got my records did not completely question my own knowledge of my own health.
Sorry, I know this wasn't much help... However, I, too wonder.. lol
Sally
I was a smoker too. Been a non-smoker for 11years now. I also had a neck injury in 1982 and had several x-rays. There is no history in my family of any one having thyroid cancer before. Papillary cancer - One nodule in both lobes. 2 surgeries, 150 of RAI 2008. This year had a low dose RAI, Thyrogen shots and WBS. My Scan was clean.(Thank you GOD). My Synthroid has change 6 times, I'm now taking 112mci. It's been a roller coster but the ride is coming to a end. My body engery level is back to a norm. I feel pretty good. All you newbies out there it does get better. Just listen to your bodies and let your Endo know if you feel strange or have side effects. They can do blood work and tell if you need more/less hormones. It takes time, Hang in there!
Lisa
Cancer 20080 -
Hello..!!!usljh10 said:Smoker too
I was a smoker too. Been a non-smoker for 11years now. I also had a neck injury in 1982 and had several x-rays. There is no history in my family of any one having thyroid cancer before. Papillary cancer - One nodule in both lobes. 2 surgeries, 150 of RAI 2008. This year had a low dose RAI, Thyrogen shots and WBS. My Scan was clean.(Thank you GOD). My Synthroid has change 6 times, I'm now taking 112mci. It's been a roller coster but the ride is coming to a end. My body engery level is back to a norm. I feel pretty good. All you newbies out there it does get better. Just listen to your bodies and let your Endo know if you feel strange or have side effects. They can do blood work and tell if you need more/less hormones. It takes time, Hang in there!
Lisa
Cancer 2008
I was a smoker too..!!! just left it 3 years ago, so that should tell us something right. usljh10 (Lisa)..thanks for the advise...I was operated on april this year, already with RAI now the nightmare are my levels...still Hypo and you can imagine how I fell. THANKS...just to read that it's a reminder that there's hope and that this is something transitory. It really cheer me up..!!
Be well....Lily = )0 -
Healthy-non smokerSally08 said:The only thing I've had to
The only thing I've had to think of as a cause for me is smoking. I've had no previous radiation exposure axcept for 1 x-ray they did on my knee when I was in 7th grade. other than that... I'm currently trying to quit smoking. I've had some PCP's give me problems when I tell them I have thyroid cancer (this was while I was looking for a new Primary Care Provider) because they say "You're too young to have thyroid cancer... are you sure it's cancer and not thyroid complications?" so i just kept searching to find one who before they got my records did not completely question my own knowledge of my own health.
Sorry, I know this wasn't much help... However, I, too wonder.. lol
Sally
Just ran across your blog. I have Thyroid cancer (RAI is in 3 days) and I have never been smoker. I tried cigarettes when I 16. I mean tried a pack, not any more than that. I have always been very healthy. I have run 5 times a week pretty religiously for the past 20 years. I am 40 now. I've never been overweight, nothing. The only vice I have is diet coke. I love it. I drink 3-4 a day.0 -
According to WebMD
According to web Md smokers are actually supposed to have a statistically lower risk of thyroid cancer than non smokers (it didn't help me).
I don't think most people know why they got thyroid cancer. I know they used to have a link on here for people who were accidentally exposed to I-131 that lived near a weapons testing facility and got thyroid cancer from that.
I had 2 hyda scans in a short period of time because they didn't do the first one right, I think that is the most radiation I ever got but I am a navy brat so ya never know.0 -
another "healthy non-smoker"jcvolt said:According to WebMD
According to web Md smokers are actually supposed to have a statistically lower risk of thyroid cancer than non smokers (it didn't help me).
I don't think most people know why they got thyroid cancer. I know they used to have a link on here for people who were accidentally exposed to I-131 that lived near a weapons testing facility and got thyroid cancer from that.
I had 2 hyda scans in a short period of time because they didn't do the first one right, I think that is the most radiation I ever got but I am a navy brat so ya never know.
I was shocked when I was diagnosed in February of this year after canceling two surgeries because I was told it was less than a 20% chance of cancer after a 1.5cm nodule came back "atypical" on two FNA's. I am an athlete, non-smoker and I have not eaten meat in 20 years. You never know. Dental x-rays as a child, one scan on my knee when I was younger. Our environment-water, air and food can be filled with toxins. Each one of us responds differently to exposure of these toxins. I now eat only organic foods-but who knows if it matters. I guess it matters more that research on treatments are conducted to increase survival rates and quality of life.0 -
I am still a smoker (forjcvolt said:According to WebMD
According to web Md smokers are actually supposed to have a statistically lower risk of thyroid cancer than non smokers (it didn't help me).
I don't think most people know why they got thyroid cancer. I know they used to have a link on here for people who were accidentally exposed to I-131 that lived near a weapons testing facility and got thyroid cancer from that.
I had 2 hyda scans in a short period of time because they didn't do the first one right, I think that is the most radiation I ever got but I am a navy brat so ya never know.
I am still a smoker (for about 12 years) but I've no reason to believe it caused nor contributed to mine. NONE of my doctors has told me smoking will make things worse--one, though, a Mayo pulminologist, gave me a tactful lecture about it. His focus was on the increased risk of heart disease, not thyroid cancer.
My Ca is much older than 12 years by all signs and accounts. It was found in a rib after a spontaneous fracture that occurred in September of 2004. It would have been very old in 2004 to have grown in the rib enough to weaken it as it did.
We have a tiny sample of patients here so it doesn't really surprise me to learn no one other than myself has ever done any welding. It has occurred to me, however, that the prevalence of the disease in females just might have been affected by the number of female weldors who were building ships during the early years of World War II. My former mother-in-law did it and suffered thyroid problems (not Ca) in her last years.0 -
I did spot welding in 1980sJAWsSavannah said:I am still a smoker (for
I am still a smoker (for about 12 years) but I've no reason to believe it caused nor contributed to mine. NONE of my doctors has told me smoking will make things worse--one, though, a Mayo pulminologist, gave me a tactful lecture about it. His focus was on the increased risk of heart disease, not thyroid cancer.
My Ca is much older than 12 years by all signs and accounts. It was found in a rib after a spontaneous fracture that occurred in September of 2004. It would have been very old in 2004 to have grown in the rib enough to weaken it as it did.
We have a tiny sample of patients here so it doesn't really surprise me to learn no one other than myself has ever done any welding. It has occurred to me, however, that the prevalence of the disease in females just might have been affected by the number of female weldors who were building ships during the early years of World War II. My former mother-in-law did it and suffered thyroid problems (not Ca) in her last years.
I did spot welding in the 1980s for a auto factory. I had forgot about it. I would race with a co-worker to see who could do the most parts. I remember coming home with little burns on my arms and my shirts would have holes. I worked there for 8 years but only spot welded for a couple. We did'nt ware a sheld not even safety glasses,pretty studpid when I look back on it.The weld would only last for a couple of seconds at a time. I don't know how much damage it would have done, there were fumes. Brings back memories,0 -
Well now, that's what I was
Well now, that's what I was looking for!
I can't believe protective gear wasn't required! If you think about it you could probably do 100 1 second welds in an hour, maybe 500-800 in a shift...Does that sound about right? That would be a cumulative total similar to what I exposed myself to with a 10 or 15 minute session. I wore the helmet but gave up its protection of my lower neck because of my aging eyes.0 -
Maybe more,JAWsSavannah said:Well now, that's what I was
Well now, that's what I was looking for!
I can't believe protective gear wasn't required! If you think about it you could probably do 100 1 second welds in an hour, maybe 500-800 in a shift...Does that sound about right? That would be a cumulative total similar to what I exposed myself to with a 10 or 15 minute session. I wore the helmet but gave up its protection of my lower neck because of my aging eyes.
Maybe more,we were pretty fast. very competitive. Silly, but you had to have something to past the time. Hey, you could smoke too if you wanted. :)Scary... seems like a life time ago.
Could be a link........... Who knows.0 -
HeyJAWsSavannah said:Well now, that's what I was
Well now, that's what I was looking for!
I can't believe protective gear wasn't required! If you think about it you could probably do 100 1 second welds in an hour, maybe 500-800 in a shift...Does that sound about right? That would be a cumulative total similar to what I exposed myself to with a 10 or 15 minute session. I wore the helmet but gave up its protection of my lower neck because of my aging eyes.
I used to weld too. Never was all that good, I am an electrician by trade but wanted to learn to weld because I didn't know how. I only did it for like six months.0 -
This is getting
This is getting interesting...two of us did not use adequate protection from the arc which contains a highly concentrated form of UV radiation. In your six month experience did you have an instructor that made sure you were using proper protective gear or did you cut a few corners like we did?0 -
WellJAWsSavannah said:This is getting
This is getting interesting...two of us did not use adequate protection from the arc which contains a highly concentrated form of UV radiation. In your six month experience did you have an instructor that made sure you were using proper protective gear or did you cut a few corners like we did?
I practiced at a friends house who had a mig welder in his garage so I cut a few corners.0 -
That's three for three then.jcvolt said:Well
I practiced at a friends house who had a mig welder in his garage so I cut a few corners.
That's three for three then. UV rays are generally thought to adversely affect only the skin but now I wonder if studies have ever been done to see if excess exposure can damage organs and tissue just under the skin. You know, you can see bright light through your hand, say about an inch of tissue and bone and two layers of skin. I bet the thyroid gland is getting exposed to the bright light--and some of the UV radiation--from arc welding with less-than-adequate protection.
Here's another question to consider: On average, who will spend more time sunbathing or in a tanning booth, males or females? When seeking an even tan the head will be tilted back so the neck gets exposed evenly....so the thyroid gland, just under the surface, is getting some of the exposure, too.0 -
I have alsoJAWsSavannah said:That's three for three then.
That's three for three then. UV rays are generally thought to adversely affect only the skin but now I wonder if studies have ever been done to see if excess exposure can damage organs and tissue just under the skin. You know, you can see bright light through your hand, say about an inch of tissue and bone and two layers of skin. I bet the thyroid gland is getting exposed to the bright light--and some of the UV radiation--from arc welding with less-than-adequate protection.
Here's another question to consider: On average, who will spend more time sunbathing or in a tanning booth, males or females? When seeking an even tan the head will be tilted back so the neck gets exposed evenly....so the thyroid gland, just under the surface, is getting some of the exposure, too.
I have also broken whole cases of fluorescent bulbs, worked around asbestos, spent a few years working with explosives and lived on military bases. I was in Guantanamo during the missile crisis and got evacuated I was 2 I think. It is really hard to say. Thyroid cancer doesn't seem to have a lot in common with other types of cancer. No genetic link.0 -
I was told by severaljcvolt said:I have also
I have also broken whole cases of fluorescent bulbs, worked around asbestos, spent a few years working with explosives and lived on military bases. I was in Guantanamo during the missile crisis and got evacuated I was 2 I think. It is really hard to say. Thyroid cancer doesn't seem to have a lot in common with other types of cancer. No genetic link.
I was told by several doctors that there are only two definite causes of thyroid cancer. Those are radiation exposure and inheriting it.
However, I have looked on several websites and have found a link between women who have taken lithium and their children ending up with thyroid cancer. I believe I fall in this area.0 -
My Dad did a lot of welding... while I watchedJAWsSavannah said:That's three for three then.
That's three for three then. UV rays are generally thought to adversely affect only the skin but now I wonder if studies have ever been done to see if excess exposure can damage organs and tissue just under the skin. You know, you can see bright light through your hand, say about an inch of tissue and bone and two layers of skin. I bet the thyroid gland is getting exposed to the bright light--and some of the UV radiation--from arc welding with less-than-adequate protection.
Here's another question to consider: On average, who will spend more time sunbathing or in a tanning booth, males or females? When seeking an even tan the head will be tilted back so the neck gets exposed evenly....so the thyroid gland, just under the surface, is getting some of the exposure, too.
I think this is very interesting. My Dad did a lot of body work on cars when I was a little girl. I remember many times that I would see him welding in the garage, he was wearing protective gear, but of course I was not. I'm also wondering if maybe I could have gotten something transmitted from him to me by way of the birth line, or him being in close proximity to my mom while she was pregnant with me. Maybe I was exposed to this while my thyroid was developing as a fetus... or even as a toddler. Hmmm, interesting.0 -
rib fractureJAWsSavannah said:I am still a smoker (for
I am still a smoker (for about 12 years) but I've no reason to believe it caused nor contributed to mine. NONE of my doctors has told me smoking will make things worse--one, though, a Mayo pulminologist, gave me a tactful lecture about it. His focus was on the increased risk of heart disease, not thyroid cancer.
My Ca is much older than 12 years by all signs and accounts. It was found in a rib after a spontaneous fracture that occurred in September of 2004. It would have been very old in 2004 to have grown in the rib enough to weaken it as it did.
We have a tiny sample of patients here so it doesn't really surprise me to learn no one other than myself has ever done any welding. It has occurred to me, however, that the prevalence of the disease in females just might have been affected by the number of female weldors who were building ships during the early years of World War II. My former mother-in-law did it and suffered thyroid problems (not Ca) in her last years.
HI, I hope you dont mind me writing, but you are the first person I found like myself that had a rib fracture with thyroid cancer dx.
I broke my rib when I coughed in june of 2008. CAT scan showed the fracture and stated it was a possible pathological fracture. It also showed the lump on my thyroid.
The thyroid lump is papillary CA. I had my thyroid removed 6 weeks ago and just did the RAI treatment 2 weeks ago. Tomorrow I have my post therapy scan.
I guess my question to you is, what does this all mean? If I get my scan and it shows the rib as being part of the thyroid cancer, does that mean I am stage 4 ? Isnt this the worst prognosis?
What did your rib fracture mean in the big picture of things?
I am a nervous wreck because In my heart I know that this rib is connected to the thyroid cancer.
Any info would be appreciated. Dee0 -
That's pretty interesting,dvicario said:rib fracture
HI, I hope you dont mind me writing, but you are the first person I found like myself that had a rib fracture with thyroid cancer dx.
I broke my rib when I coughed in june of 2008. CAT scan showed the fracture and stated it was a possible pathological fracture. It also showed the lump on my thyroid.
The thyroid lump is papillary CA. I had my thyroid removed 6 weeks ago and just did the RAI treatment 2 weeks ago. Tomorrow I have my post therapy scan.
I guess my question to you is, what does this all mean? If I get my scan and it shows the rib as being part of the thyroid cancer, does that mean I am stage 4 ? Isnt this the worst prognosis?
What did your rib fracture mean in the big picture of things?
I am a nervous wreck because In my heart I know that this rib is connected to the thyroid cancer.
Any info would be appreciated. Dee
That's pretty interesting, especially about yours being papillary. From my research pap usually goes to lymph nodes while follicular goes to bones and lungs. So far my disease has done exactly that--rib first, now a new one in the spine, lots of tiny ones inside the lungs and one very large one in the right hilar region just outside the lung.
My rib was removed, maybe 6 or 7 inches of it. I was not happy with the consequences of that. My torso is now very asymetrical, bulging out where the rib was taken. The surgeon told me absolutely nothing about the possible complications of that surgery which include a large area with no feeling at all, chronic minor stabbing pains in the vicinity, the bulging, etc. He could not assure me how long the Gore-Tex mesh he secured in place would remain in place. The mesh is secured to ribs 7 and 9 (it was 8 that was removed) and it is intended to keep my innards from bulging out through the gap. You can see the mesh on scans and it doesn't appear to be changing or stretching but the bulging has grown slowly worse. There is one place where you can see some part of my guts has slipped around the edge or end of the mesh but the size of that hasn't changed noticeably over the years. My biggest concern is that the mesh suddenly lets go and some important organ is damaged when it is forced out the gap.
None of my doctors has discussed the stage of my Ca but I have assumed from my research that it was probably 4, maybe 3. Since thyroid Ca is usually survived I've not been too worried about its classification.
When mine was first diagnosed the first endocrinologist said he would do a TT but treat the rib lesion with radiation, RAI at first then focused beam radiation if necessary. My oncologist consulted with another endo who said, emphatically, the rib should be removed. Based on that advice I changed endos and proceeded with the two surgeries, done one right after the other. The rib butcher spent about 3 hours taking it out and, since I survived that, the ENT came in a slit my throat.
He said later it was the most complex and time consuming TT he had done, about 5 hours. When I went to his office for the first follow-up all of his staff wanted to come in and meet me--the guy who kept the surgeon in the OR for the longest time; they had to cancel many of his appointments that afternoon.
I recently saw this ENT surgeon for problems with my voice, caused by the new tumor in my neck. I told him I regretted having the rib removed because of all the problems. His response was, "If your rib had been left in place and treated with radiation you would probably be dead today."
This is not to say your rib has to go. Listen to your doctors and get second opinions if needed, then make your decision. My rib tumor was very large, about 3 inches long and an inch in diameter. Yours is probably large, too, since the rib was weakened, but that doesn't mean yours should be treated as mine was.
One important thing I have learned from this experience is the importance of thyroglobulin levels during the months and years that follow. My scans were said to be clear for almost 2 years, all while the Tg level was climbing. My doctors finally realized nuclear scans were clear because the mets were not taking up iodine. Several PET scans, however, confirmed multiple mets which explained the increasing Tg.0 -
Bad Genetics
I have a genetic disorder. Its a package deal that includes Medularry Thyroid Carcinoma, Marfanoid Body type, and a host of other genetic defects. don't you love the package deals? yYa get more for your ailment!0
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