Follicular thyroid cancer

I’ve been diagnosed with a follicular thyroid tumor following an ultrasound and a biopsy. I recently had my consultation at the Mayo Clinic within their ENT department, and they’ve scheduled me for surgery in mid-November. Given everything one hears about this specific diagnosis, I’m terrified that during this six-month wait, the tumor might progress to a point where it becomes too late to intervene. Honestly, the anxiety is overwhelming, and I’ve been struggling with deep depression over it all. If anyone could offer some perspective—whether through personal experience or professional insight—regarding my situation, I would be incredibly grateful. Thank you.

I can't speak from personal experience or professional expertise, but isn't there some surgeon who takes private clients? Just pool the cash together and find someone who can operate ASAP, whether that’s here or over in Austria.

Exactly. You should really try to get a second opinion and maybe look at a different date too... Honestly, the surgery itself isn't nearly as scary as people make it out to be, and there's a pretty solid chance they'll manage to clear out all those tumor cells...

From what I understand, these tumors tend to progress quite slowly—they usually stay encapsulated within the gland itself—so it typically takes a significant amount of time before any metastasis occurs.
The real question, I suppose, is what the maximum diameter actually is.
In any case, as others have already suggested; you should probably get a second opinion from another doctor and get this sorted out as soon as possible. 😘

Wait, did my husband already post a question about you guys? Check a few posts down... was it about Hurler's?
And seriously, you've gotta specify what kind of tumor we're even talking about first... is it benign or malignant (like, cancer)? Because otherwise, there’s zero point trying to guess or throw out advice and experiences beforehand, right?

A huge thank you to everyone who weighed in on the follicular tumor thread. To clarify, that Hurler's tumor mentioned earlier is an entirely different matter altogether. Since my last update, I’ve managed to find a hospital in NYC where I'm scheduled for surgery on July 7th, 2006. As for whether this thing is benign or malignant—well, we'll see. In both hospitals I've visited, the ENT specialist insists they are looking at a benign tumor. However, the surgeon performing my procedure is suggesting a total thyroidectomy, especially since I dealt with Basdev's disease and hyperthyroidism about twenty years back. It’s all quite heavy, and honestly... I just hope God grants me the strength to get through this smoothly. I have to admit, mentally, I am struggling quite a bit to wrap my head around the whole situation.

About two years ago over at the Mayo Clinic, they ended up removing my pinky finger along with almost all the "infected" lymph nodes in my neck. Pretty much everything was taken out.
Because of this Škaro situation, I’ve been feeling pretty restless and uneasy. It’s just not a good feeling knowing there might still be something malignant lurking in my neck, especially since they only run tests every six months. I can't help but worry that before the next checkup, this Škaro could flare up and spread its malignancy somewhere else entirely. My oncologist isn't actually recommending they go in and pull out the Škaro because it's so small, suggesting we just monitor it instead.
Right now, I'm in the middle of hunting down a second opinion at a different hospital, so we'll just have to see how things play out.

Robin Sanchez32—I don't really get how this whole response system works. One day she’s apparently acquainted with neighbors in the area who are dealing with thyroid tumors, and then, out of nowhere, she comes down with the exact same illness herself? It’s strange, to say the least.¤

@bluebadger24
Highly recommend the Mayo Clinic—seriously, Dr. Jim is an absolute rockstar when it comes to endocrinology.
Good luck! I'm pulling for you.

bluebadger24 said:Two years ago at the Mayo Clinic, they removed my spleen and all the "infected" lymph nodes in my neck. Well—almost all of them.
Because of this Škaro thing, I’m pretty restless and uneasy. It’s not ideal having something potentially malignant sitting in your neck, and the checkups are infrequent—only every six months. I'm worried that in the meantime, this Škaro might flare up and spread somewhere else. My oncologist doesn't recommend removing the remaining bit because it's too small; they just want to monitor it.
Right now, I'm looking for a second opinion at another hospital, so we'll see how it goes. ¤

Man, what did they actually do to you? Didn't they clear everything out? And now they aren't even recommending removing that tiny leftover piece? What kind of logic is that? 😲

I heard about this woman who was told she had cancer and needed to pay for surgery. She went out and got a second opinion from another specialist, and it turned out she didn't have cancer at all. Just a reminder that things happen.

Man, it was brutal... there was so much damage inside. The surgery dragged on for six and a half hours, just a mess of incisions, blood loss, and constant cutting. They basically lost control of the situation.
What really gets to me, though, is how they’re just playing it safe by monitoring it. In eight months, I’ll have to wait to hear what another oncologist thinks before making any real moves. But what if they say I need to have it removed? Then I'm stuck with two conflicting opinions from two top-tier specialists. Do I even bother looking for a third opinion? ¤

It would honestly be much easier for me to chat with you through an online platform or via email—especially given everything I’m navigating right now with this thyroid tumor. Let me know if that works for you. Thanks.😛 🙄 😲

bluebadger24 said:Dammit... there was just too much damage inside. The surgery ran 6.5 hours. So many incisions, bleeding, tissue loss... they just couldn't get ahead of it.
It’s the constant monitoring that’s getting to me. In August, I’ll wait to hear what another oncologist thinks before making a call. But what if they say—just take it out?! Then I’m stuck with two conflicting opinions from two top-tier specialists. Do I go looking for a third opinion? ¤

Just have them remove it, man. You'll feel better mentally.

I guess I’d just do it... if nothing else—so I can finally get some decent sleep at night..
But then you have these "experts" out there, acting like they’re some kind of geniuses with a century of experience, telling me not to pull the implant because 1/ it’s currently dormant and 2/ they might not even find those remnants anyway. They'll probably just pull out whatever looks close enough while cutting through a whole new web of nerves and muscle in the process..
I'll just shut up and do whatever Rebricar says.. ¤

bluebadger24 said:Honestly, if it means I can finally get some sleep at night...
But apparently, the "experts"—the ones with a century of experience and all the degrees—insist I shouldn't pull it out yet. Their reasoning? One, it’s in a dormant phase, and two, they might not even find those remaining pieces. They could just end up pulling out whatever looks close enough, potentially severing a whole new set of nerves and muscle in the process.
I guess I'll just shut up and do whatever Rebricar tells me. ¤

Ugh... how is it even possible that they won't find the remains? 🤔If they can't find them, how do they manage the control? How do they even know there's anything left?

I’m the wife of the guy who was asking about Hurler's tumors. I can't even begin to tell you how terrified I was at first. But after sitting down with several doctors—not just one, but a whole team—things calmed down a bit. They told me it's almost always benign, though the symptoms can be a real nightmare. I'm 33, and honestly, I've never been sick a day in my life until this. We have the surgery scheduled for July, and I feel much more composed now that I've spoken with other women who dealt with this damn Hurler's tumor and came out the other side okay. It helps to share the burden... at least it helps me.

I am truly glad to see you’ve found some peace of mind. I find myself navigating those exact same waters right now. I’m scheduled for surgery in seven months to deal with a follicular tumor. If you don't mind me asking, which hospital are you heading to? There is something about sharing these experiences—just being able to trade perspectives—that makes the whole burden feel a little lighter.

Hello to everyone in this group. Unfortunately, it seems like the conversation around this topic has quieted down lately, but I find myself really needing more information and personal stories regarding follicular thyroid cancer. I was diagnosed back on January 5th, 2006, following an ultrasound, a scintigraphy scan, and a biopsy. My next step is a consultation at Johns Hopkins Hospital, but the prognosis is already clear: surgery is necessary. I have a 5x3x3 cm tumor on my left lobe and a smaller 5 mm one on the right. Interestingly, I’ve never had any symptoms or issues with my thyroid, and there was nothing visible externally; it was actually discovered by sheer accident during a CT scan of my cervical spine after a car accident. I'll admit, I'm feeling pretty anxious about all this. If anyone could share their own experiences—especially those who have gone through the surgery itself—I would be incredibly grateful. I am 46 years old, and I have a 20-year-old child and a 7-month-old baby girl waiting for me at home. For them, I am more than ready to fight this. Thank you so much for any help you can provide!

@neonmason82
If I were in your shoes—and I suppose I'm not—I'd probably have it removed as soon as possible.
Maybe take a look at this thread where a few people discuss their thyroid surgeries.
Best of luck.

John Adams4, thanks for the heads-up. I'm heading over to that link now—it sounds like exactly the kind of positive energy I need right about now.