Microcarcinoma follow up

Hi KazCaz and a very warm welcome to the online community

I noticed that your post hadn't had any replies yet so I thought I'd pop in to see if I can help. 

If you haven't done this already, if you type 'microcarcinomas' into the search bar at the top of the page you'll find a number of previous posts which mention this. You could have a read through them and respond to any of the more recent posters if you think they can help you further.

While you're waiting for replies it would be great if you could pop something about your diagnosis and treatment into your profile as it really helps others when answering or looking for someone with a similar pathway. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.

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Hi Kazcaz

Sorry to hear that you are waiting for a completion thyroidectomy. I'm sure it is an anxious time for you.This site was a godsend after my surgeries and I hope it will be for you too.

I had a medullary microcarcinoma following a partial thyroidectomy in 2018. As the treatment is different to papillary or follicular thyroid cancer,I first had to have genetic testing. Once it was determined I had the sporadic type,which is not genetic, I still opted to have a completion thyroidectomy which was 6 months later.Nothing else suspicious was found. I now have an ultrasound, endocrinology and apt at the head and neck clinic yearly. I also have specific blood tests to check CEA and Calcitonin levels.So far so good!

As I mentioned before the treatment is different so I'm not quite sure what they will do in your case.I think that since it is a papillary microcarcinoma ,following a completion thyroidectomy they might just do regular checks on you and not do RAI,but I hope someone corrects me if I'm wrong.

All the best with your completion surgery and treatment. 

Wooz

Thank you Wooz. I understand it may be different for papillary but even so that is still really helpful information so thank you for taking time to answer. I’m not too worried about the surgery but I am worried about making sure I get a negative on my pre-op covid test to enable it to happen! 

great to hear you are doing well, long may it continue x 

Oh yes,Kazcaz!I didn't think about the whole  pre-op Covid testing necessary now.It just complicates matters a bit somewhat.

I'm sure you know exactly what to expect having had the partial.The only difference for me was that I had to start thyroid medication after the completion which I hadn't taken before. And,I didn't have such bad nausea as after the first surgery as the anaesthetist gave me something to prevent this. It was just good to get it over and done with.

Hope all goes well with the pre-op Covid test and the surgery itself.

Wooz

Thank you! 

I would say that all bets are off regarding protocols because of Covid. It may well be that you don't see the doctors as often as you might have done before the pandemic.

The old normal with the NHS was to see a doc every 6 months for the first couple of years and then once a year after that if there were no issues up to that point. With private health insurance, I saw somebody every 3 months to start then every 6 months after the first couple of years.  If you don't need RAI, you may be seen less often.

I did and still do all my blood tests at the GP. 

I would suggest that even though yours were tiny, if the MDT think it's necessary to take the rest of your thyroid, they will treat you pretty much the same as anybody else who has had a complete thyroidectomy.

Thanks for the info Barbara, much appreciated. I have just had my completion surgery so should have first follow up soon and be able to ask what plan is. Thank you again for taking time to comment x