I’m looking for some comments and help with the above, please.
I’ve had surgery (Mastectomy with immediate LD Recon.), 3 x FEC, 3 x Taxotere, 25 blasts of Radio, Tamoxifen for 8 months, Ovaries and tubes removed, and now I’m on Arimidex and halfway through my year of Herceptin.
In October last, I was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid. After more scans and a CT, I’ve been told I’ve got a “hot” nodule and will be given radioactive iodine to get rid of it. (First I’m having a FNA on Friday, “…given your history”)
Finally, I’m getting to the point! Has anyone else had BC first and then this treatment? There appear to be a number who have had it the other way round, but I’ve got concerns about this treatment’s effect on Herceptin, Arimidex, and my poor abused immune system.
I would love to hear from anyone who has any pointers or some questions that I should ask either the Oncologist or the Endocrinologist!
Why are you going straight into radioactive iodine treatment? I was dx with an overactive thyroid in Feb 06, 12 months before BC dx. Where I am treated (Leicester Royal) the standard treatment is firstly to block the action of your thyroid with carbimazole, and then to replace the thyroid function with synthetic thyroid hormone thyroxine. I have a blood test every eight weeks, and medication is adjusted accordingly. I have been stable since August 06. Usually this process is followed for 18 months, then medication is stopped. I’m told that 50% of people will be cured, and the other 50% will relapse at some point - either straight away or it could be several years down the line. Only after a relapse would radioactive iodine be considered.
As my 18 months came up in the middle of chemo the decision was taken to keep me on medication so as not to risk any more upset to my system than necessary. I have an appointment at the thyroid clinic in May to review the situation. Personally I am worried about coming off as I really don’t want it all to go wrong again, and would happily continue taking my two little daily pills for ever more.
Hi RoadRunner,
Forgot to mention the Carbimazole! On 15mgs a day, down from 20.
The Endocrinologist (Endo from now on) said that the hot nodule is causing the overactivity and always would, unless it was zapped or surgically removed. He said that as soon as I stopped taking the cabimazole, the thyroid would be overactive again, and as it’s not a drug for life, the only way to cure it, in my case, is to deal with the solitary toxic nodule. I am concerned about this drug anyway, as it can severely compromise the white blood count and I’d rather be off it asap.Like you, I may end up with an underactive thyroid and be on Thyroxine, but it seems a less scary drug and easier to control levels.
I assumed that I just had Thyroditis, but in my case they have found a definative cause.
I’ve not heard about the interaction of carbimazole with white blood counts. Definitely a question for my clinic in May. Mind you, I was taking it all through chemo with no problems.