Biopsy came back suspicious cells

Stellatum

It's so scary having to wait, isn't it? I had a similar situation, except by the time we got the suspicious biopsy, my thyroid had been giving me so much trouble for so many years (Graves disease and lots of nodules) that I opted for surgery (though they offered me genetic testing). It turned out I did have cancer, so that was a good decision for me. I actually had follicular cancer in one lobe and papillary in the other (which I think some don't consider cancer any more).

So my thyroid's been gone for a couple of years, and I don't miss it a bit. I feel normal on Synthroid.

My doctors were very reassuring. My surgeon had only seen one case where my kind of thyroid cancer spread--and that was a woman who had lived with it for twenty years, refusing treatment! Even follicular thyroid cancer has a great prognosis, it's so slow-growing, and then after surgery you can either have radioactive iodine to kill any thyroid cells that are still growing in your body, or have yearly blood tests to see if any thyroid cells are growing. If they are, you can kill 'em with the RAI. It's pretty much a magic bullet.

The surgery wasn't a pic-nic, but it wasn't so bad. The recovery is quick and the discomfort while healing is minimal. No one wants cancer, but if you have to have it, have the kind that doesn't require chemo and that isn't likely to spread!

I hope you get answers very soon, and a wonderful outcome. I'm sorry you have to go through this.

divine1111

Thank you so much for replying. I did get some relief from just you talking about your experience. I am so sorry that you went through this. Having thyroid issues can be such a nightmare, especially Graves Disease.

In the 1980s I had graves and they gave me iodine finally after 8 years of walking around with the wrong medicine. Anyway, after the iodine treatment, I was fine. After some time, I saw an endocrinologist who said i should take sinthroid otherwise my thyroid could get lumpy and nodules, well that came true but when I took sinthroid back then it made me want to jump out of my body. So i did not take it.

I have had nodules since 2004. This past year one grew from January 2018 to September 2018, not much but significant that the radiologist suggested a biopsy. So the biopsy was done 3 weeks ago and then when you read the top of what I am pasting here, that is the biopsy coming back and then the doctor gave me a choice whether or not i wanted to send off for testing or have surgery. we both chose the testing. Then he called me yesterday and he literally scared me into a panic attack. He said it came back 95% risk of aggressive cancer whatever that means and suggested i have surgery immediately but then i spoke to another doctor of mine and he said its not saying you have cancer but says its a high percentage to mutate into cancer. I am so confused. i see the surgeon this coming wed, nov 7. my bday is nov 14 and i will be 60. some gift! I guess ill just take it out. I am sure the surgeon is going to say this.

Is it difficult to adjust to the sinthroid or thyroid medicine in general after taking out the thyroid? Also what about your parathyroid, were they removed? Thank you again for your response. I really appreciate it.

Cytology FNA Fine Needle Aspiration Report
Addendum Present

Cytologic Interpretation:

Statement of Adequacy:

Satisfactory for evaluation.

Bethesda Diagnostic Category
Atypia of undetermined significance

Descriptive Interpretation: (ICF18-00153)
Atypia of undetermined significance

The thinprep shows follicular cells with moderate cytologic atypia,
multi-nucleated giant cells, lymphocytes and colloid. In a patient treated
with radioiodine, the findings are most likely reactive treatment related
changes. Correlate clinically.

The cellblock is non-contributory.



Comment: This report contains a cytopathology interpretation. The
interpretation is not a final pathologic diagnosis. Cytopathology
interpretations carry a small percent of false positives and false
negatives, which can be minimized by clinical correlation and use of
auxiliary studies, including tissue biopsy.

CT(ASCP)


Procedures/Addenda:
Date Reported: 11/2/2018

Addendum Diagnosis
THYGENEXT THYRAMIR PERFORMED BY INTERPACE DIAGNOSTICS READS AS:


LEFT THYROID FNA: POSITIVE FOR BRAF V600E, TERT c.-124C>T. HIGH RISK OF
AGGRESSIVE THYROID MALIGNANCY.


ATTACHED REPORT -

Specimen(s) Submitted:

Fine Needle Aspiration, Thyroid Lt.

Clinical Information:

Left thyroid nodule.
Gross Description:

25 cc clear pink fluid.
Thinprep.
Cellblock.

Stellatum

I'm so sorry you're going through this! It's so scary, and hard to think about anything else. I hope you can get through it soon, and that you get wonderful news when it's all over.

I didn't have any trouble adjusting to the Synthroid after my surgery. If the Synthroid made you jumpy before, it might have been because you were getting too much, since apparently your thyroid glad was still producing hormone after the radioactive iodine. It shouldn't make you feel that way after your thyroid is removed.

They left my parathyroids in, or some of them (I guess there are four). I think one of them ended up removed, which is apparently common and harmless. I think it's also typical for your parathyroids to shut down for a while after surgery, so they will tell you to take a lot of calcium, and test you to make sure they're kicking back in.

Let us know how you do!

divine1111

I did not do radioactive iodine in the 80s. It was just iodine as I had symptoms of graves yet not fully graves. I did have a slightly elevated T4. After 3 months of the iodine I felt fine.

I will definitely keep you all posted and definitely let you know also. I am so happy I have these boards to help me also. I wish more people would post though.

How soon were you able to go back to work? How soon were you able to drive?

Thanks and talk soon.