Mets to thyroid question???

Alice · 12-09-2007, 10:25 PM

Hi there,
I am a bit concerned about my throat to put it mildly! I have always had a node in my neck that was a little enlarged since radiation and my onc and surgeon were not concerned about it. So I kept with their opinion of it. Now for the last few weeks I have had a feeling of a lump in my throat. Not a palpable lump, but a lump as though I had been upset and it is a feeling internally. I don't know if anyone is familliar with the term of having a lump in your throat, but if you are, that is exactly what it feels like and it is becoming more prevelent and not going away. I have tried as much as I can to tell myself that it is my imagination, but I would like to know if anyone out there has had mets to the thyroid and if this could be a symptom of that? If it does not go away or get significantly better in the next week or so I will be going in to have it checked out. I am 1 month away from my 2 year out of treatment and I am very aprehensive about going in to have this checked out.

Any info is apreciated, Thanks
Alice

mts · 12-10-2007, 02:58 PM

I had a scare of a lump on the "v" of my lower neck... got scans etc and found I had nothing in the spot where I thought I had a problem yet the scans found two small cyst-like areas on the left lobe of my thyroid. I am no longer concerned... I do have little lypomas (fat blobs) around my body.
My onc said that often times a thyroid problem will have side effects of weight loss, constipation and other things.
To see if the thyroid may be the problem, lift your head up, get a gulp of water in your mouth and then tilt your head back and watch your throat in the mirror as you swallow. A lump will usually arise during the swallowing.

I was told to keep my hand away from my neck--- my worrying had me always palpating it, trying to push it up or down to see if it was "attached" to something... all this aggravates it !!

Thyroid problems are very common the older we get. Mostly benign little lumps. Of course there is nothing like peace of mind and if the lump appears to be enlarging, you might want it looked at by a professional.

maria

Cynthia · 12-10-2007, 05:54 PM

Alice,

I had a recent PET scan that lit up around my thyroid. I of course was quite concerned so I hit the books and learned that the vast majority of thyroid cancers are very easily treated and cured. That gave me some peace of mind (but was of course convinced I had the type that would kill me instantly). I say an endocrinologist who did an ultrasound and a fine needle biopsy. All was fine. They are continuing to watch it (because it showed up on the PET and want to be sure the biopsy wasn't a false negative). I have gone on with life and really give it no thought at all until I have to go in for follow-up ultrasounds. Thyroid nodules are very common and yours is probably nothing, but in order to sleep well at night, you really do need to go and have it checked out.

Please keep us posted. I am looking forward to reading your update that tells us it is nothing at all to worry about.

Stay well,

Cynthia

For what it is worth, when my PET scan came back positive for thyroid, my onc said she very much doubted it would be breast mets. If anything, she thought it could possibly be a new primary tumor, but she really thought it would be nothing.

Alice · 12-11-2007, 12:30 AM

Thank you for your replies. I tried to check for a lump during swallowing and I can't see anything different durring the swallowing process. I didn't really expect to, seeing as the feeling is one that is inetrnal as though it is in the inside of the throat. I had not thought that constipation could be a symptom. I have also noted recently that my bowels have been irregular and somewhat constipated. I also have been experiencing some stomach pain that I contributed to the constipation. I think I should take a survey of abnormal habits such as constipation, heartburn, chest pain, palpitations etc. even though I may not be aware as to their significance, so when I see my Dr. I will be able to give him a better picture of what I am experiencing. Who would have thought that constipation would be a symptom of a thyroid problem. Thanks again,
Alice