November 08, 2012

Brooke Burke Has Thyroid Cancer

Brooke Burke, TV personality best known for winning the 7th season of Dancing with the Stars and later co-hosting the show starting in 2010 announced in a self-published video the fact that she has thyroid cancer and will soon be undergoing thyroid surgery.

Apparently, on a routine physical exam, a neck mass consistent with a thyroid nodule was appreciated in July 2012. This was biopsied (presumably via an ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration) and came back as "atypical". Given atypical findings, a diagnosis of cancer or no cancer can not be definitively made. As such, more studies were than pursued and finally, she was informed she had a "good" type of thyroid cancer if there is such a thing.

Some of these additional studies may have included CT scan of the neck and thyroid scan.

The type of thyroid cancer was never specifically mentioned, but she most likely has papillary thyroid carcinoma which is the most common form of thyroid cancer and is highly curable (which is where the comment of being a "good" cancer comes from).

Other less common thyroid cancers include follicular thyroid carcinoma and medullary thyroid carcinoma.


Thyroid cancer mandates thyroidectomy with post-operative radioactive iodine treatment to ensure complete thyroid tissue eradication.

Her surgery date has not been announced.

It should be stated that until the thyroid is removed, one can NOT be absolutely sure that thyroid cancer actually truly is present. Indeed, the president of Argentina made a similar announcement of thyroid cancer only to find out after her thyroid was removed that no cancer was actually present. Read blog post about this "mistake".

Read more about the surgery here or watch the video!

Source:
Brooke Burke: I Have Cancer. NY Post 11/8/12

Fauquier blog
Fauquier ENT

Dr. Christopher Chang is a private practice otolaryngology, head & neck surgeon specializing in the treatment of problems related to the ear, nose, and throat. Located in Warrenton, VA about 45 minutes west of Washington DC, he also provides inhalant allergy testing/treatment, hearing tests, and dispenses hearing aids.


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