"…the opportunity to tell this story is a relief. If there were more people [like me] out there, I wouldn’t have to feel like I’m all by myself making this decision that is so risky and so forth. … I guess it was a good time for me to have this happen because it seems that I have come in right at a time when maybe attitudes are going to shift a little bit." from a research participant
Discovering the nodule
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We interviewed 22 people who had a thyroid finding that was not causing symptoms, it was picked up while people were getting other health care. The thyroid finding (usually called a nodule) was known or suspected to be a papillary thyroid cancer. 18 of those people decided to monitor their finding rather than undergo the recommended procedures.
They came to that decision after looking at information they found in the medical literature on their own. We have briefly summarized some of that medical literature for you elsewhere on this web site. In this area of the web site, our participants tell us what they thought when they found it and read it on their own.
Living with the decision to monitor has been challenging for many in our study. They shared their stories in the hope that it would help others.
We are sharing these results not because you should monitor your own thyroid finding - it is not the right thing for every case (or even most) or every person - but to support those who are monitoring or thinking about the option, and those who care for them and about them. |