Thursday, April 21, 2011

April 21, 2011 – Radiation Pill?

It seems lymphoma treatment isn’t the only cancer-treatment field that’s rapidly changing. Today I come across an article on my other cancer – thyroid cancer – indicating that one treatment that’s been talked about for me is currently being reconsidered by the experts.

I’ve been hearing all along that, once my thyroid is removed surgically, I’ll probably need to follow up with a single radioactive-iodine treatment. This is a dollop of radioactive material encased in a small pill, that I would swallow several weeks after surgery. Because thyroid tissue thirstily slurps up iodine, if it should happen that there’s any thyroid tissue remaining in my body after the surgery, the radioactive iodine would zap it.

Now, it turns out the radioactive iodine is risky in itself, and is possibly the cause of some secondary cancers. Recent studies indicate that a more nuanced treatment decision now needs to be made, weighing the likelihood that there is indeed any remaining malignant thyroid tissue against the slight – but real – risk of the radioactive iodine running amok and causing another cancer elsewhere.

The American Thyroid Association is now saying that radioactive iodine “should be used selectively and [only] in patients with intermediate and high-risk thyroid tumors.”

So, with a nodule presently at 1.5 centimeters, how’s my tumor classified? I didn’t ask Dr. Boyle about precise staging, so I can’t be sure.

That’s one thing I’ll need to remember to ask the doctor about, as the time of surgery draws near.

In the meantime, it’s Holy Week, and I’ve got a whole lot of other things on my mind. Sermons to write!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

SURE MADE ALOT OF MISTAKE IN TYPING AND NOT HITTING ALL THE KEYS BUT I THINK YOU GET THE DRIFT. THANKS

GRANNY

Carl said...

Thanks for the many prayers, Granny. I do appreciate the support from you and so many others. I'll pray for your friend with the advanced thyroid cancer.

Carl

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU AND I ALREADY SAID PRAYERS FOR YOU TODAY. I THINK SOMETIME PRAYING FOR SOMEONE YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IS MORE MEANINGFUL. THERE'RE ANGELS AMONG US.DON'T YOU KNOW.

GRANNY FROM TAMPA

deals said...

i will pray, God bless you.. :)

Roselyn said...

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