If your cancer was fairly small and did not spread beyond your thyroid then you will probably be monitored but not require further treatment.
If you had well defined thyca (that just means papillary or follicular) and it has spread beyond your thyroid then they will recommend RAI which is no fun and can have some damaging side affects. You should find out more about it before you decide.
There are some less common types of thyroid cancer that are treated like any other cancer (chemo and radiation) as they do not absorb Iodine.
Basically you need more information but thyroid cancer is slow growing so take your time.

Sorry to hear of your diagnoses. I two had Parathyroid involvement when they did my TT. If it has spread to those then they are very likely to want you to undergo Radio Active Iodine treatment. The worst part of that (for me) is they will most likely want you to go Hypo Thyroid. So you will know the whole gamut from Hyper Thyroid with Graves to Hypo Thyroid. The Parathyroid controls your level of calcium. I believe that most people have 4 of them. After I had one removed I started taking a daily supplement just in case the others have problems. Also if you have kids you need to take extra care during the treatment because the Radiation you get can hurt them. I recently found a good book on line called Thyroid Cancer a guide for Patients you might want to look into. Well sorry you have to go through this.

I never thought that I would have heard you being diagnosed for Thyroid Cancer. I truly am very sorry that you have to go through this.
My feelings however is they have probably gotten all the cancer and you need not worry so much. I would however be very cautious about taking 131 Radiation. This is a jucnture for you as you have friends that in the past have said many rewarding attributes for taking Radiation I personally don't favor Radiation as a form of treatment and hope that your views or more open.
Their are only really four types of cancer that effects your Thyroid the most common being Papillary and Follicular Carcinoma Cancer. I suspect that being the case the only treatment I feel the doctor will recommend is 131 RAD. I would ask for the most up-to-date modern scientific treatments now available. I wouldn't want RAD but if my lymph nodes were involved the question would be; What is the best treatment that would guareentee the healthest outcome? I also hope that you are taking a ridgemeant of Vit D. Also, look into taking Liquid Calcium/Magnesium and Iodoral (Iodine). Ask your doctor if these vitamins will help you. When taking any of these things make sure you wait at least 3 to 4 hours after you take Synthroid if that is what you are indeed taking. I actually have put myself on a T3 only diet and haven't taken Synthroid for almost completely off 2 months. This is only because I have a condition known as RT3 I will eventually go back to a T4, T3 supplement when my body is no longer in a flight situation. I believe that my system went into a shock syndrome when I had my Thyroid removed and it isn't so unheard of. Always have your Free's test given to you I would absolutely ignore TSH because it just doesn't give you the big picture and is rather useless. If, your doctor doesn't do Free's I would indeed question his validaty as a professional. Also, I remember sometime ago your father passed I don't know if it was of cancer but I would check the genectic's. Beyond this I pray and hope for you all the very best enjoy the fruits of life smile when the sun comes out and most of all relax take a deep breath its all going to be o.k.

Debbie, Thanks so much for the info and remembering my story!! It was my father in law that passed so I dont have to worry about genetics there.

My FT4 was 22.6 range 9.-23.
FT3 3.7 range 3.5- 6.5 and
TSH .14 range .20-4.0

I know that my FT4 is a bit high and the FT3 is a bit low but I was also off all ATDs for 3 months before my TT in June. I dont and didnt want RAI thats why I had the TT kinda ironic that I will need it anyway. I am taking vit d and calcium since the TT. I spent two years fighting not to have RAI so I am at a total loss. I hope that no further treatment is required and wish everyone here good luck!! Thanks

If, the T4 is high and the T3 is low then I would think the true culpit is Reverse T3. So much of the T4 you are taking to convert to T3 is doing a Reverse and keeping you Hypo. Good luck with everything and we are very special people!

I am sorry about your diagnosis- not a nice thing to hear! Regarding the question of RAI treatment I have been struggling with that while waiting to go Hypo, (see the discussion I just posted on RAI) and have decided against it- Look at the article I found- it just makes sense to me and answered a lot of the niggles I had in my mind about doing the RAI: http://jnm.snmjournals.org/cgi/content/full/49/8/1395
Good luck with whichever path you choose!

I have also just been diagnosed. I had a partial thyroidectomy on Tuesday. Had many biopsies of some nodules...all were benign over the last two years. One was quite large so the thyroidectomy was planned. Two days later get a call from my surgeon that a very small nodule that was removed was cancerous. Now I am regretting not having the whole thing removed.

A partial may be adequate treatment for a small carcinoma, your thyroid makes more hormones than the ones they replace so keep part of it if you can.

Debbie247, I may be wrong but could I not take a beta blocker to convert T4 to T3?? I am not feeling hypo at all!! I feel great!!! They kept my drug induced hypo from oct last year to march when I quit taking the ATDs. Now I am trying hard to understand this....in a pamphlet I got at the cancer place yesterday they treat some forms of cancer with T4. Would the ATDs I was taking have made it worse?? I am also wondering if I even had graves or was my body just screaming at me telling something was wrong???