Inconclusive

Hey there

Welcome to the forum, though I'm sorry you need to be here! No questions are stupid if they are playing on your mind, so please never be afraid to ask anything at all! 

When the FNA comes back as a T3, it means there weren't enough cells of one sort or another to be really sure if there is or isn't cancer. The cells they look for occur naturally in the thyroid, so they're basically counting to see if there are too many of a certain type which would indicate cancer. So the options are to repeat the FNA, or remove half of the thyroid and get a slice of the whole lump under the microscope! It's best to wait a good 3 months to have a second FNA, as that gives your body time to clear the dead cells and dried blood away from the first, so they don't end up with a T1 result which means bad sample. However, more often than not, a T3 happens over and again, and then you end up needing a hemithyroidectomy anyway.

I hope that helps, please do ask if you've anymore questions and I'll do my best to answer them! 

Lass

Xx

Hi Lass

Thank you so much for your reply.

That makes perfect sense and explains why the consultant said 'we would usually operate' rather than testing again.

At the moment I'm trying not to look for signs that would indicate I definitely have cancer (but that's really hard).  Time to crack on with work, think about the fact I have no baked beans in and ensure my ten year old does his school work. :-)

Thank you again Lass.

xx

Heya, 

No problem at all! 

You could make your own baked beans if you can find a tin of plain beans or a packet of dried ones, and some tomatoes..... Lol. Might be time to buy some seeds! It'll  probably be faster growing the tomatoes and the beans than trying to find them in the supermarket! I've got some tomato plants started on my windowsill already!

Good luck with the homeschooling..... Lol

Lass

Xx

Sounds quite similar to what happened to me, although in my case the surgeon didn't indicate that it was my choice if I had the hemithyroidectomy (although I guess we can always say we'd rather not and that would have to be respected). Different surgeons probably have different ways of approaching this. Mine is kind but very forthright! I trust him absolutely though.

If it helps at all, the op is usually very straightfoward, there's hardly any pain, and the recovery for most people is very quick. My lump was found to be malignant (hurthle cell carcinoma), but even if it hadn't been I think I would have been glad to have had the op so that I knew for certain, otherwise I would always have been wondering and worrying. (Also, the lump was starting to get quite uncomfortable, so it was good to be rid of it!)

It's quite difficult to be in that no-mans land of not knowing you definitely DO have cancer and not knowing you definitely DON'T. That was the hardest time for me. I think it's quite common with thyroid cancer (perhaps with other cancers too?) that it takes a while and various investigations before you know for sure.

Do let us know how everything goes.