thyroid mets?

[iceis]

Hey all!

Has anyone had any experience with mets to the thyroid?

Routine ct scan showed some small pulmonary nodules back in march, less than 5mm, prob clinically insignificant but enough to watch. Returned 6mos later to see they're still there stable, but noted a 1.2cm enhancing thyroid nodule.

My onc was very encouraging, said my thyroid was prob outta wack. Did blood work, came back fine. He assured me it was prob a cyst. Had an ultrasound 2 weeks later that revealed a 1.9cm solid nodule.

He still seems positive but my positivity is slowly disappearing. He got me a recommendation for an endocrinologist who said shed wanna look through my results before deciding whether a biopsy was needed. 2 days later she booked me for a biopsy at the end of this month.

My onc says this is prob not mets, prob not cancer, if it is most likely thyroid cancer early stage. Endocrinologist says she wants to rule out mets. Onc says its almost impossible, and has only been seen a few times in literature. My own research has shown thyroid mets are a bad prognosis, and anything I read says as soon as a solid mass is found on the thyroid after a previous malignancy, it should be immediately suspected as mets.

Can someone please share their experience with either a similar finding and a positive result? Or if it was a similar experience with thyroid mets, how did you proceed?

Thanks so much guys!

[Elisa12]

Sorry to hear about your complications. When I had my first PET, 3 thyroid nodules showed up, one with FDG uptake. Biopsy
was indeterminate on two (both around 1 cm), but dr wanted to wait til done w/chemo to do anything. New biopsy in April
had benign finding on one, indeterminate on the other, but both had grown slightly (1.2 and 1.3). Am watching and will be
having another biopsy next month. If growth continues, and indeterminate finding continues, dr recommends removal. He did
say that it would be very unlikely related to the colon cancer though.

[Kathryn in MN]

After my first 12 tx of FOLFOX I didn't seem to be bouncing back as I expected. I was blaming it on the chemo. But then I realized my symptoms were much like hyperthyroidism. I had my thyroid levels checked and they were out of whack. Mostly pointing to hyperthyroidism, but not matching completely as it should. I had different testing done - ultrasound which showed a couple problem spots, a nuclear med test where I took radioactive pills, and a scan in a big machine (that is also used for bone mets). In the end my endocrinologist said it is most likely that I have Hashimoto's. My mother has it. In my case instead of making me go hypothyroid, it made me hyper. But as this happened my thyroid was attacking itself and killing part of it off. This is why it lit up on the PET, and why they saw these little odd things on them. Mine did get to the point where it killed enough thyroid that my numbers are normal now. But they expect that I will become hypothyroid at some point. (I had my PET after all the thyroid tests, so I didn't freak out when it lit on the PET - we already knew what was going on.) I had to go back on chemo right away, and after that the thyroid settled down. There is always a slight chance that there was cancer in the thyroid - but if so, FOLFIRI knocked it out. I don't know if that combo would really do anything for thyroid cancer or not? But my thyroid has not lit up again in over 2 years.

I also had my pancreas light up on a PET - the first one when I finished chemo. That was quite a scare - but I just had pancreatitis. We can have things light up on PET's for many other conditions that are not cancer.

[disco nap]

I had a couple of lumps on my thyroid during my last CT: 0.3cm and 0.8cm. They did an ultrasound, and thyroid blood work: levels were normal.

I saw an endocrinologist who basically said "why are you even here" and she said she wasn't concerned because of the slow/no growth rate and that they were less than 1cm. She said spread of colon cancer to the thyroid is pretty much unheard of.

I would keep an eye on them but I am with your doc - they are surely just cysts like mine are and those are pretty common.

[iceis]

Thanks everyone. I've actually never had a pet done, not even after diagnosis? Have always just done ct scan, and one mri. Might be interesting to enquire about one.

Ultrasound showed there is only one, and it is definitely not a cyst. It is a solid. Also, biopsy is only recommended for nodules over 1cm. Mine is 1.9cm by 1.2cm x 1.8cm.

TSH levels are normal, so this isn't just extra thyroid tissue caused by a hyperthyroid.

I'm so confused. Still hoping its nothing.

Thanks to each who have responded.

[BrownBagger]

I don't know what the significance of CRC mets would be in the thyroid, but thyroid cancer is very treatable and from what I've read, the mortality is extremely low except for very advanced cases.

[Granny]

My last PET showed something on my thyroid. Ultrasound was done and had cysts. Does anyone else have problems swallowing with thyroid mets or cysts?
Granny

[iceis]

Thanks brownbagger. I've heard the same about it, and I'm sure if it is thyroid cancer it would be very early considering how closely I'm watched. My biggest fear is that it is a met, simply because I would then be restaged. I know lots of you on here (I don't post very often but read many, many of your informative posts) are living very active, as healthy as can be lives at stage4, its just a scary notion if you all sorta get me.

I've mainly posted in here because I can't really talk to anyone in my family about it. My mom gets all megative and always assumes the worst, and my only other real support system is my younger sister and I feel sometimes that my worrying scares her too much, so I've come here in hopes of support.

I guess I just have to stop worrying. I won't know anything until probably the 7th of november once pathology is done.

In the meantime, I will keep positive.

Thanks again guys!

[JanC09]

I have a 3cm nodule on my thyroid we have been watching for three years. It lit up on my first PET scan and my dr. wasn't really concerned. I have and am taking a thyroid replacement after my TSH came back low. We saw it again and then my dr. thought maybe we should biopsy. It came back benign. I was also diagnosed as having Hashimoto's, which I guess is very common in women. As others have said even it happens to be thyroid cancer, it is very treatable with good outcomes. Try and not stress too much!!

[weisssoccermom]

I don't know what type of doc you are seeing about this but....do NOT assume that because your thyroid levels are 'normal' that there isn't a thyroid problem totally unrelated to your cancer diagnosis. For example, on a routine thyroid panel, my levels look well within normal limits but.....huge family history of thyroid disease and I have been on medication since my 20's (although, I have to be honest, back then, wasn't at all good about followups, medication, etc.).
Oftentimes, very specific thyroid tests to test ALL levels of thyroid uptake, etc. must be done. Are you having other symptoms related to thyroid disease (not referring to any thyroid cancer here)? Do you have a family history of thyroid issues? If so, get to an endocrinologist for more specific testing and to hopefully get to the bottom of it.
IF you do have something like Hashimoto's (which I have) it can be easily controlled with drugs like Synthroid or Levoxyl (assuming that is what is wrong). Just an FYI - thyroid issues are NOT uncommon at all....particularly for females. IF you are having symptoms, don't assume they are nothing....and keep in mind that oftentimes, symptoms of thyroid problems are vague, mild and can easily be mistaken for other problems.
Jaynee

[Kathryn in MN]

My biggest fear is that it is a met, simply because I would then be restaged. I know lots of you on here (I don't post very often but read many, many of your informative posts) are living very active, as healthy as can be lives at stage4, its just a scary notion if you all sorta get me.

If somehow this turned out to be thyroid cancer, you would not be restaged, or recurred - you would have a new primary at its stage. It would have to be colon cancer cells in the thyroid to be moved to a recurrence. I had cervical cancer a few years before my colon cancer dx. That did not change my cervical stage II at all, because I had a new primary - colon.

I'm glad you are going to the endo - you'll get a thorough set of tests and answers. Hoping for a benign biopsy!

[Grace14]

Read my signature...I was diagnosed with stage 1 papillary thyroid cancer 6 months after I had surgery for my rectal cancer. When I had scans after I was diagnosed for rectal cancer I guess there was a nodule on my thyroid I was not told this at the time because they wanted to treat me for my rectal cancer first. When I went for my scans after I finished chemo that's when they told me about the nodule which they were almost certain was not cancer. They were wrong it was indeed a new primary thyroid cancer in a very early stage I did not need further treatment they removed my thyroid. I was happy it wasn't a met from my original cancer. Thyroid cancer is very curable so I've been told so if it is thyroid cancer I'm sure you caught it early! Good Luck!

[iceis]

Thanks guys

Yes, I understand if it is thyroid cancer it would be a new primary. It sounds terribly morbid but I'd be sort of relieved to hear thyroid cancer. Cancer sucks all around, I guess its really just the lingering fear of the colon cancer. My fear I think is self inflicted. Too much reading into literature on the web. I guess sometimes we can over educate ourselves and in the mean time scare the crap out of ourselves lol

It was the spots on the lungs combined with this nodule that made my brain go crazy I think. I understand its extremely rare for cc to go to the thyroid. I'm going to put my faith in my onc stop being a cry baby and think positive.

I will update as soon as I know anything so that if anyone has a similar situation, they may get some answers to their questions

[iceis]

I don't know what type of doc you are seeing about this but....do NOT assume that because your thyroid levels are 'normal' that there isn't a thyroid problem totally unrelated to your cancer diagnosis. For example, on a routine thyroid panel, my levels look well within normal limits but.....huge family history of thyroid disease and I have been on medication since my 20's (although, I have to be honest, back then, wasn't at all good about followups, medication, etc.).
Oftentimes, very specific thyroid tests to test ALL levels of thyroid uptake, etc. must be done. Are you having other symptoms related to thyroid disease (not referring to any thyroid cancer here)? Do you have a family history of thyroid issues? If so, get to an endocrinologist for more specific testing and to hopefully get to the bottom of it.
IF you do have something like Hashimoto's (which I have) it can be easily controlled with drugs like Synthroid or Levoxyl (assuming that is what is wrong). Just an FYI - thyroid issues are NOT uncommon at all....particularly for females. IF you are having symptoms, don't assume they are nothing....and keep in mind that oftentimes, symptoms of thyroid problems are vague, mild and can easily be mistaken for other problems.
Jaynee

Thanks so much! I do actually have symptoms (which of course freaked my lil hypochondriac brain) I'm extremely tired, like exhausted. I'm freezing all the time. My hands tingle. I'm achy. Blah. I dunno. For the past 6 months I've been all round feeling crappy. I can't wait to get some answers!

Thanks again