Dr.Guttler’s comments:

1. Thyroid surgery is the primary treatment for thyroid cancer.
2. This article is about a famous singer who lost his voice for months when he could not sing a note!
3. However, there are alternatives if the cancer is small or it has recurred in neck lymph nodes after the surgeries.
4. Small cancers can be watched under a careful follow up procedure called active surveillance.
5. Recurrent cancers and primary micro-cancers <1.5 cm can be ablated by radiofrequency method called thyroid RFA. The advantage of RFA is no scar, no hospital surgery, low complication rates compared to surgery, and finally no need for post surgery thyroid hormone therapy for life. Ethanol ablation PEI and also ablate the recurrent neck lymph nodes if the number is < 3-5, and they are smaller than 2 cm.
6. If you need surgery, only allow thyroid surgeons to do your operation. If they have done >25-30/ year they will have a lower complication rate then surgeons doing less a year.
7. Call me for a second opinion before having the surgery because you may have a cancer treated by ablation or watchful waiting by Active surveillance.
8. 310-393-8860 or email to thyroid.manager@thyroid.com.
9. Ask for Alicia.
10. Dr.G.

Rod Stewart, 76, Reveals He Lost His Voice During Thyroid Cancer Battle: ‘I Couldn’t Sing A Note’

Chris Spargo

• Details

Rod Stewart On Losing His Voice Because Of Thyroid Cancer

• Singer and survivor Rod Stewart is revealing that his brief battle with thyroid cancer almost robbed him of his voice. The smooth serenader gave a rare interview about being diagnosed with the disease 30 years ago, expressing the fear he felt when he woke up one morning to discover that he “couldn’t sing a note.”
• That was due to the lifesaving thyroidectomy that Stewart, 76, had which helped him beat cancer. He also beat prostate cancer after a three-year battle starting in 2016.
• He opted to keep both battles private until he finished treatment. Fellow thyroid cancer survivor Sofia Vergara made a similar decision, explaining that she wanted to stay focused on healing and not be subjected to constant press coverage during an already taxing time.

Singer and survivor Rod Stewart reveals that his brief battle with thyroid cancer almost robbed him of his voice.

The smooth serenader gave a rare interview about being diagnosed with the disease 30 years ago while appearing on Loose Women, expressing the fear he felt when he woke up one morning to discover that he “couldn’t sing a note.”

Stewart did regain his voice and beat thyroid cancer. He also beat a second diagnosis of prostate cancer in 2017, which is why at 76-years-young he is out promoting his 32nd studio album, The Tears of Hercules.

The troublemaking troboudor played down his thyroid cancer battle at the start of the interview, saying: “I had a touch of thyroid cancer; it was over and out within 10 minutes.”

Stewart then explained to the hosts, which on that day included his wife Penny Lancaster, that he did not  “want to pretend I fought cancer for months and months” because, in his case, “it was really easy to get rid of.”

Related: Powerhouse Singer Says Voice Is Stronger After Thyroidectomy to Remove Tumor

He did not elaborate on that or share how advanced the cancer had been at the time or the treatment he received, though he strongly suggested that he only needed a single surgery.

“They chop right through your throat. All the muscles are torn apart,” Stewart says of the procedure.

That procedure, known as a thyroidectomy, removes the cancerous tumor through an incision made in the lower part of the neck. In addition to thyroid glands, the surgeon might also remove lymph nodes if there has been any spread.

Many patients only need surgery because thyroid cancer grows at a much slower rate than other forms of the disease.

The surgery was not a success, though, in Stewart’s mind at first.

Related: Cancer Survivor Rod Stewart Releases New Album

The treatment did rid him of the cancerous cells in his body, but at the same time, it also took his voice.

“It had totally gone,” recalls Stewart. “It was scary because I couldn’t sing a note.”

It took some time and muscle memory, but Stewart’s legendary voice eventually came back and quickly got put to use.

Stewart had a much more difficult time battling prostate cancer, though he managed to win that fight as well.

It took him three years from his diagnosis in 2016 to be declared cancer-free, and much like his battle with thyroid cancer, he did not share the news until after he finished treatment.

Know the Signs of Thyroid Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, thyroid cancer can show up via any of these symptoms:

• A lump in the neck, which might grow quickly
• Swollen neck
• Neck pain in the front, sometimes going to the ears
• A hoarse voice or other changes in the voice that do not resolve
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty breathing
• A continuing cough in the absence of a cold

If you experience any of these symptoms, consult your doctor without delay.

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