Thyroid cancer is not the good cancer, straight out of THYCA newsletter
No Such Thing As "Good Cancer"
By Some of ThyCa's Lifetime Members
We've all heard it at one time or another: "If you have to get cancer, then this is the one to get." "Thyroid cancer is good cancer," and similar statements. These comments fail to take into account just how serious and complex thyroid cancer can be.
Those of us who have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer know these statements aren't true. There is no "good cancer."
Telling someone diagnosed with papillary or follicular thyroid cancer that he or she has an excellent prognosis for a long life of living with thyroid cancer is reasonable. Telling the same person that he/she has "good cancer" diminishes both how dangerous the disease can be, and what the person diagnosed is going through.
Medical professionals need to speak to us in the same way they discuss any other cancer, so that we will realize how important lifetime monitoring is even when we have a good prognosis. Not clearly delivering this message can lead survivors to not understand how important lifetime monitoring and follow-up are to managing their thyroid cancer.
To put things in context, when someone feels poorly and goes to the doctor for a checkup, the doctor may say, "you have a bad cold." How can a person be told he or she has a "bad cold," but can have "good cancer"?
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Valerie
Thanks so much for posting this and how true your words are.
Because many thyroid cancers have good survival rates (especially the most common types of thyroid cancer -papillary and follicular, that you spoke of, which have survival rates of over 95%)I think people think it's somehow less serious. But cancer is cancer!
And the rare form of thyroid cancer, anaplastic, is very, very serious.
I hope you are getting the support you need, Valerie. And you can always come to Empowher for a boost, when you need one. In addition, I'm sure you have some very valuable information you can share with us.
Valerie, I learned something today. So thank you.
I can see how in a certain situation I might have thought or said that at some point. My meaning wouldn't have been that thyroid cancer is good, just that some others seem so very bad, especially those that seem to be impossible to treat. But I can totally see how to a person with thyroid cancer, a comment like this diminishes what they are feeling and dealing with.
I'm surprised that you get this from the medical community, though.
Perhaps it's that they see everything in degrees. I can imagine an orthopedist looking at an x-ray and saying, "If you have to break a bone, this is the one to break," meaning it's easier to heal then some other bones. But that doesn't mean it hurts any less.
Devil's advocate: If I was a patient just learning that I had cancer, I actually think it would be comforting to me to hear a doctor say it was a "good" kind. That wouldn't make me feel like I was off the hook by any means, but rather that it was something I could beat, or live with. I would imagine that any doctor who regularly diagnoses cancer patients gets used to the stark terror we feel upon hearing the word, and perhaps this is their attempt to mitigate that fear, not an attempt to minimize the seriousness of the disease.
Thank you for saying that Valerie.
I have thyroid cancer myself, and I can't tell you how SICK and TIRED I am of hearing people say that to me, especially medical professionals.
Good prognosis for most, yes. Good cancer? NO!
I was just wondering if you know if after you have thyroid removal and a
radical neck surgery for this cancer, is it possible to get another lump and it be cancer? My husband had this just about one year ago, and last night told me he has found another lump on the opposite side of his neck. I am so scared for him and myself. Just wondering if you new or anyone reading this. Thanks.
The best thing I can tell you is not to panic. The next thing would be is to call your Doctor and make an appointment. I know it is scary when you find something and not knowing is the worst part. They need to do some tests, blood work and I would suggest a ultra sound. That way they can get a better idea what it might be.