thyroid cancer: what are the odds they have the diagnosis wrong?

Question

Thyroid cancer survivor. Family history of gallbladder disease, are the odds are that i'm more likely to get mine removed also? They had symptoms in late 30's

Answer 1

How was Dx made?: The statistical measure of an inaccurate test result is a false positive test. The incidence of false (+) following a fine-needle thyroid biopsy can be quite high depending on the findings. However, if this DX was established following thyroid surgery, the rate of false (+) is less-than 1%. If you need reinforcement, your doctor can request a second opinion from a different pathologist.

Answer 2

Depends on the bx: If the diagnosis was made after thyroidectomy - the chances are not high that they got it wrong, unless the pathologist is not used to looking at thyroid specimens. I have had them mistake hashimotos' thyroiditis for follicular carcinoma. This is easily cleared up by sending the slides to an academic or outside consultation. Papillary carcinoma is usually pretty clear on microscopic exam.

Answer 3

Who diagnosed?: If a pathologist made the diagnosis, the odds of wrong diagnosis are very very low. Denial by the patient is far more likely than wrong diagnosis by a pathologist.

Answer 4

Nuclear scan: Radio nuclear iodine scan.

Answer 5

Blood test, nuc scan: Blood tests for thyroglobulin(tg) are very sensitive for persistent thyroid cancer. Tg is only found in active thyroid cells, and after surgery and rai ablation, there should not be any cells or tg left. Blood tests for tg can show if thyroid cancer is still present, and nuclear scans with a diagnostic or therapeutic dose of radioactive iodine can show where thyroid cancer is still present.

Answer 6

Curcumin : Curcumin has been shown to have antiinflammatory properties. It may have helped your bleeding gums by reducing the inflammation, but in and of itself the spice will not heal or cure gum disease. Your post did not say whether your dentist said you had bone loss or pocketing, some of the side effects of periodontal disease. Just because your gums aren't bleeding doesn't mean you don't have these problems. If your dentist has told you that you don't have pocketing and don't have periodontal disease, just inflammed gums, then this supplement has helped you with this inflammation.

Answer 7

Deficiency?: If you have your teeth cleaned regularly and floss, you may have a vitamin deficiency. Scurvy is a vitamin deficiency of vitamin c. It is rare in today's world, but the symptoms are bleeding gums. Consult with your dentist about taking one gram of vitamin c daily.

Answer 8

Curcumin : Curcumin does claim to have anti-inflammatory properties. When gums bleed it is because bacterial plaque (food and bacteria) that is not brushed or flossed away leads to a localized inflammatory process. In its most basic form it is called gingivitis. Usually, the bacterial plaque needs to be removed and through proper daily oral hygiene the inflammation will dissipate so that little or no bleeding is evident. Although superficially (with the curcumin) you might be getting no bleeding, you should allow your dentist or periodontist to evaluate the "gum pockets" around your teeth. It may be possible that you have masked a more significant underlying problem, periodontitis (which involves bone loss around the teeth and can ultimately lead to tooth loss).

Answer 9

It can come and go: Bleeding gums can come and go. It may stop for a while, but if you do not floss and plaque builds up, it will bleed again.

Answer 10

Better or worse: The two best possibilities are that your hone care is finally paying off. The other is not so good-your problem has progresses to where the edges of your guns are no longer so inflamed because the problem is now active in the spaces we call pockets between your teeth and gums below the surface. Your dentist has more information. You should ask.

Answer 11

4 types: Papillary, follicular, medullary, anaplastic both papillary and follicular cancers are typically treated with complete removal of the lobe of the thyroid that harbors the cancer, in addition to the removal of most or all of the other side. Medullary cancer of the thyroid is significantly less common, but has a worse prognosis. Thyroid cancer anaplastic has a poor prognosis.

Answer 12

3 categories: Thyroid cancer is divided into 3 general categories: 1) well-differentiated (papillary, follicular, hurthle cell) 2) poorly differentiated 3) undifferentiated (anaplastic).

Answer 13

Thyroid cancer: Different types of thyroid cancer- in general it is divided in to: well differentiated cancer ( follicular, papillary cancer), medullary thyroid cancer and undifferentiated cancer ( anaplastic cancer).

Answer 14

Depends: There are 4 types of thyroid cancer: papillary, follicular/hurthle cell, medullary and anaplastic. Papillary is most common (75% of all thyroid cancer) so if you have thyroid cancer, this's probably what you have. Anaplastic is very aggressive and is deadly, so you most likely do not have this one. The only way to know is through a thyroid biopsy or surgery.

Answer 15

Can only know: By formal pathology report of biopsy or removal of the tumor/ thyroid gland.

Answer 16

Anyone: Anyone can get thyroid cancer. Your risk is higher if you have a family history of thyroid cancer or if you were exposed to excess radiation to the neck when you were younger.

Answer 17

Variable: There is no specific risk factor other than having radiation to the neck. It may be more common in areas where iodine deficiency is likely.

Answer 18

After : After having your tubes tied, you have a less than 1% chance of becoming pregnant. So, 99% chance it was just a heavy clot from your period. If you continue to have abnormal or heavy bleeding, contact your doctor. Good luck! just fyi - a tubal pregnancy is a pregnancy that implants into the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. Since the tube is narrow, there is not enough room for the fetus to grow and the tube will rupture. This is considered a surgical emergency. A pregnancy that happens after someone has had their tubes tied that implants into the uterus is just a regular pregnancy.

Answer 19

After : After having your tubes tied, you have a less than 1% chance of becoming pregnant. So, 99% chance it was just a heavy clot from your period. If you continue to have abnormal or heavy bleeding, contact your doctor. Good luck!

Answer 20

Examination: Suspicion for a thyroid cancer is often discovered by a physical examination, first discovered by a patient and then verified by a doctor. A biopsy is needed which can confirm the diagnosis.

Answer 21

It takes cells.: Thyroid cancer may be suspected on the basis of seeing or feeling a lump on the neck, or abnormal imaging results, but it takes cells on a microscope slide to prove it. Usually cells are obtaining by inserting a needle into a thyroid mass, and withdrawing a small amount of liquid, and cells, into the needle. This test is called an fna, or fine needle aspiration.

Answer 22

If FNA is unclear: Sometimes, the fna is inconclusive. In that case, it can repeated, or it may be necessary to have surgery to remove some or all of the thyroid to make the diagnosis of thyroid cancer, or to know for sure that there is no thyroid cancer.

Answer 23

FNA or surgery: The best way to diagnose thyroid cancer is in surgery. The surgical specimen give you the most tissue to look at. It can also give you a "gross" view of whether the nodule had spread through the thyroid capsule (an indication of cancer). That being said, most patients don't jump to surgery right away. In that case, an ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration is often perform to eval cancer.

Answer 24

Thyroid cancer: The gold standard is by ultrasound guided fine needle biopsy of a thyroid nodule.

thyroid cancer: what are the odds they have the diagnosis wrong?

Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers — it's anonymous and free!

90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more. Get help now:

Similar questions

How do I know if the thyroid cancer has spread?

What are the different types of thyroid cancer?

What kind of thyroid cancer do I have?

Who usually gets thyroid cancer?

How is thyroid cancer diagnosed?

Related questions

90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more. Get help now:

People also asked

Disclaimer:

Get the free app for Members

Get the free app for Doctors