[sparerib]

#1059051

I was diagnosed two years ago and my thyroid has been controlled for those two years with PTU 50mg tid. My TSH, T3 and T4 are all within normal ranges.

However, recently my thryoid immune globulin has been increasing rapidly after having initially fallen. It started at 2200, fell within the year to 788 and now is back at 2031, having almost doubled from1100 two months ago. The lab sleip says it should be <20. In January of 2011, I had fine needle aspiration on the two small nodules and the results were mainly negative or inconclusive.

My endocrinologist is very dismissive of this number. The info online seems to indicate anyother fine needle biopsy might need to be done. The information online is either limited or so medical I do not understand it. From what I gather, men are more prone to thryoid cancer than women and 89% of people with a high thryoid immune globulin number are found to be cancer free.

If anyone has experience with this, I would appreciate the words of wisdom I have always received from this bulletin board. BTW, my PTU had been decresed the last two months from 50mg tid to 50mgbid but it is my understanding that the drug does not really affect the thryoid immune globulin as much as the other numbers. The doctor is maddenly dismissive of any questions and I have changed endocrinologists twice. We do not have that many here and from what I read, a number of doctors are dismissive of this lab result.

[Bobbi]

#1171820

A layman’s understanding: The thyroid immune globulin is an antibody. Globulins are a protein that make up some of the immune system. So, while some folks with thyroid cancer can have high antithyroid antibodies it does not mean that the mere presence of those antibodies indicates thyroid cancer. Even if ALL people who had thyroid cancer had this antibody, it would not mean that all people with the antibody had thyroid cancer. To take it out of the realm of health issues, change the terms a bit. All Native Americans have brown hair and brown eyes. It does not, however, mean that all people with brown hair and brown eyes are Native Americans.

[sparerib]

#1171821

Yes, I understood that much, but does it mean that I should ignore the fact that this number is getting higher and higher at what seems to be a rapid rate, or does it mean that I should ask for another fine needle biopsy or another ultra sound? The endo never has touched me, so he never has felt for a goiter etc, and the nodules are not visible. I did have a second ultra sound in June of 2011 and the nodules had not increased in size, but the tiglobulin number was going down at that point.

[Kimberly]

#1171822

Hello – Thyroid cancer questions are a little outside the GDATF’s expertise, but we do have two great organizations that we refer people to:

(Note on links: if you click directly on the following links, you will need to use your browser’s “back” button to return to the boards after viewing. As an alternative, you can right-click the link and open it in a new tab or new window).

ThyCa:
http://www.thyca.org/

Light of Life Foundation:
http://www.checkyourneck.com/

As you know, our relationship with our endo is a long-term one! If you don’t feel that your concerns are being taken seriously by your current doc, a second opinion might give you some peace of mind.

Take care!

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