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063: Kelley Pratt survived medullary thyroid cancer | fine needle aspiration | thyroidectomy | lymphedema
When Kelley Pratt went in for a routine physical, her doctor found a large nodule sticking out of the left side of her neck. That led to an ultrasound, then a fine needle biopsy. An ear, nose and throat surgeon viewed test results and told Kelley she had medullary thyroid cancer. This diagnosis involves a neuroendocrine tumor that can only be addressed with surgery. Kelley was fortunate to have an outstanding surgeon and the procedure led to survivorship.
Kelley is a registered nurse from Birmingham, Alabama, but in 2004, she was living in Missoula, Montana, and thought her showing up for a routine physical would be…routine. When her doctor felt Kelley’s neck for lumps and bumps, he found a golf-ball sized tumor in the left side of her neck. He wanted her to undergo further testing and called for an ultrasound, then sent her to an ear, nose and throat surgeon who viewed its results, and told Kelley she either had lymphoma or thyroid cancer. The ENT sent her to get a fine needle aspiration, in which a needle into the tumor, and at age 32, Kelley Pratt was diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer.
This is a rare type of thyroid cancer. Because it involves a neurodocrine tumor, the cancer technically doesn’t come from the thyroid and as such is not treated like other thyroid cancers. The other three thyroid cancers can be addressed with radioactive iodine therapy or chemotherapy. Her cancer was going to require surgery.
Kelley said she was quite fortunate in that she had a surgeon in Missoula who was experienced in dealing with medullary thyroid cancer. Her first surgery was conducted with a thoracic surgeon. It was a sternotomy and a thyroidectomy, removed the metastasis by splitting her sternum, then removed her entire thyroid, an eleven-hour surgery. The procedure left her with a scar from one side of her neck to the bottom of her neck, down to her sternum. It also did nerve damage. For the first year after the surgery, Kelley was unable to lift her left arm.
Even though eventually healed in full, she could not return to work right away, but it was when she could return, that Kelley felt her journey was taking a turn for the better.
Kelley Pratt says these days, her health is about 70 percent of what it was before her diagnosis. She can still go on long hikes and has full range of motion in her left arm, but occasionally experiences lymphdema, which causes swelling due to a buildup of lymph fluid.
By way of advice, Kelley says for anyone diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer to be sure to find a care team well-schooled in the treatment of this rare cancer.
Additional Resources:
Support Group:
Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association: https://www.thyca.org
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By Jim Foster
5
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When Kelley Pratt went in for a routine physical, her doctor found a large nodule sticking out of the left side of her neck. That led to an ultrasound, then a fine needle biopsy. An ear, nose and throat surgeon viewed test results and told Kelley she had medullary thyroid cancer. This diagnosis involves a neuroendocrine tumor that can only be addressed with surgery. Kelley was fortunate to have an outstanding surgeon and the procedure led to survivorship.
Kelley is a registered nurse from Birmingham, Alabama, but in 2004, she was living in Missoula, Montana, and thought her showing up for a routine physical would be…routine. When her doctor felt Kelley’s neck for lumps and bumps, he found a golf-ball sized tumor in the left side of her neck. He wanted her to undergo further testing and called for an ultrasound, then sent her to an ear, nose and throat surgeon who viewed its results, and told Kelley she either had lymphoma or thyroid cancer. The ENT sent her to get a fine needle aspiration, in which a needle into the tumor, and at age 32, Kelley Pratt was diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer.
This is a rare type of thyroid cancer. Because it involves a neurodocrine tumor, the cancer technically doesn’t come from the thyroid and as such is not treated like other thyroid cancers. The other three thyroid cancers can be addressed with radioactive iodine therapy or chemotherapy. Her cancer was going to require surgery.
Kelley said she was quite fortunate in that she had a surgeon in Missoula who was experienced in dealing with medullary thyroid cancer. Her first surgery was conducted with a thoracic surgeon. It was a sternotomy and a thyroidectomy, removed the metastasis by splitting her sternum, then removed her entire thyroid, an eleven-hour surgery. The procedure left her with a scar from one side of her neck to the bottom of her neck, down to her sternum. It also did nerve damage. For the first year after the surgery, Kelley was unable to lift her left arm.
Even though eventually healed in full, she could not return to work right away, but it was when she could return, that Kelley felt her journey was taking a turn for the better.
Kelley Pratt says these days, her health is about 70 percent of what it was before her diagnosis. She can still go on long hikes and has full range of motion in her left arm, but occasionally experiences lymphdema, which causes swelling due to a buildup of lymph fluid.
By way of advice, Kelley says for anyone diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer to be sure to find a care team well-schooled in the treatment of this rare cancer.
Additional Resources:
Support Group:
Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association: https://www.thyca.org