Basically, what happens next is that they will probably remove the rest of your thyroid. They may also take some lymph nodes  if they think there is a risk it's spread to them.

Given how small it is, that is likely to be the end of it, except that you will then have to take medication for life.

Did the consultant say if you would need the rest of your thyroid removed? If you don't, then you are probably done. But I think they usually do.

If it's any consolation, my papillary thyroid cancer was 67mm and there were 8 lymph nodes affected and I was back at work a month after the operation. Any cancer is scary, but they say papillary thyroid cancer is sort of the "least worst." 

Thank for reply  he said that I would be given a ct scan to make sure not any were else he say he doesn't think it will need to be removed but I spose all depends on scan just really worried just can't believe what's happening 

You're bound to worry, but it sounds like you are most likely done with treatment. The worst is already over.

Thanks gives some resurance just worry about if it's spread any were  else 

Papillary thyroid cancer usually only spreads to the lymph nodes if it spreads at all and that makes little or no difference to the prognosis. Survival is still pretty close to 100% (like 99.something%), still no need for chemo or anything like that. 

Odds of spread any further is about 1%-4%, I think and given your age and how small it is, I'd say your odds are lower again.

And even if it had, survival rates would still be at least 77% (I think again, they'd be significantly higher at your age, but it's hard to get stats as it's not very common).

I know you always think of the worst case scenario. I did too and in my case, the cancer was so much larger than the norm that I was thinking "well, yeah, spread is very unlikely, but a tumour of 6.7cm was pretty unlikely too and that happened."

They have to check. But the odds are very much against spread.

So I'm not the only male with thyroid cancer! :D
And I'm also just 1 year older than you! If you're interested, here is my story www.cancerresearchuk.org/.../left-thyroid-malignant-nodule-and-enlarged-lymph-nodes

Given how small the cancer was, you might actually be done with the treatment and just do follow ups, I think it mainly depends on whether they find evidence of it being somewhere else, which is extremely unlikely in general but feels even more unlikely in your case.

Even if it did spread, they'd likely give you radio iodine, which is more or less a one-off tablet that they give you at the hospital. The only "problem" with that is that you'd have to isolate for a week or so. I know going through this is hard but in your case I think there is no real reason to be overly concerned or expect bad news from the scans. In cases like yours (no spread outside of the thyroid and small tumor), the survival rate is pretty much 100%

Hello thanks for reply means a lot to no I'm note the only male going through this 

had my ct scan yesterday got appointment on 25 aurgust to c what happens next still bit worried about it all   And voice is still hoase after month after surgery 

How are u now mate have u hade all your ops ? 

My surgery went well, the surgeon was really happy about the outcome considered how much the tumor had spread in the neck. The only complication is that the tumor was also around a nerve and they could not preserve it, although they said they tried for a long time. So my left vocal cord is now paralysed. I'm sure your surgery was much much easiser as they only removed half of your thyroid and no lymph nodes. Your voice will come back with time, as the swelling in the neck goes away.

Other than that I am stressed about the scan results and honestly still a bit shocked about what I had (and will have) to go through. It's hard to process all this. Cancer always felt like something very far, that affects mainly people in their 60s, 70s and 80s. It feels really unfair to have to go through this at a relatively young age. To me it felt particularly unfair because for the first time in 3 years I had finally managed to sort out a lot of problems, related to both work and relationships, after 2 very hard years because of covid and lockdowns.

How are you doing mentally?

Hi there just seen your post not been on myself for a while. I have just had a completion thyroidectomy yesterday after having right side removed 15 weeks ago and finding out I had thyroid cancer. Mine was also very small in size, but after being reviewed in the MDT meeting it was found to be follicular variant of PTC so more aggressive than first thought. Due to the fact the remaining half wasn't picking up the slack of having the right side removed and also suffering from autoimmune thyroiditis and having a thyroid cyst I opted to have the rest removed. I am feeling much better after this surgery even though it is obviously still very early days. I was started on 50mcg of thyroxine 6 weeks ago and this has now been uped to 125mcg. I have also been given calcium chews and active vit d. I will have a post op appointment in 2 weeks then radioactive iodine treatment in oct time to kill off any remaining

 cells.

Hope you are doing ok.

Here if you want to chat.

Kind regards,

Natalie.

Not doing to to bad doing , better that I thought I suffer from anxiety for years I thought I was gunna be in pieces  but I'm back at work and kids keep me on my feet just trying be normal as possible just hope all goes well and as u said bit shock still realy can't believe when he said I had cancer