Why Treatment Must Change and What Patients Can Do Antonio C. Bianco, MD Dr. Bianco's long-awaited book is now available from the University of Chicago Press in several formats. A quick scan until I have the time to read it thoroughly brings out some mind blowing but not unexpected r4esearch based concepts – that many… Continue reading Rethinking Hypothyroidism
What is Percent through Range and how can we use it to help understand our thyroid meds? Like many lab tests, our thyroid lab results have a set of expected values — the laboratory reference range — that most doctors consider normal.A reference range, or interval, is a set of values that includes upper and… Continue reading Percent through Range
There are a few circumstances that may affect Free T3 (triiodothyronine) test results. The following two test descriptions from LabCorp, a major nationwide diagnostic laboratory, indicate conditions which may interfere with testing and when the Dialysis and LC/MS-MS may be preferred. Biotin may interfere with Free T3 and other thyroid tests. Thyroid antibodies may interfere… Continue reading Update on Free T3 Testing
Why is TSH suppression so often the sole or primary goal in thyroid cancer treatment with little regard for Quality of Life (QoL)? We are told, over and over, that the vast majority of thyroid cancer patients do just fine for the rest of their lives on synthetic thyroid hormone replacement (THR) therapy evaluated by… Continue reading Suppression vs QoL
Test and ICD Codes - Current as of 15 December, 2021These test and ICD codes can be helpful if your tests are being ordered by a primary care provider or an endocrinologist who does not specialize with thyroid cancer patients. Lab Corphttps://www.labcorp.com/test-menu/search Order CodeOrder Code NameResult CodeResult Code NameUnits224576TSH+Free T44264 19745TSH T4,Free(Direct)uIU/mL ng/dL10389Triiodothyronine (T3), Free10389Triiodothyronine… Continue reading Thyroid Cancer Test and ICD Codes
As thyroid cancer patients, when things are not going well the first place we tend to look is to our thyroid hormone replacement (THR) meds. Just as our thyroid interacted with every aspect of our physical and mental health, metabolism and daily activity, we need to remain aware of how our overall health works withn… Continue reading What Blood Tests Should I Request?
When T4 and T3 go low, TSH goes high. The hypothalamus senses low circulating levels of thyroid hormone —Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxine (T4) — and responds by releasing thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). TRH - Thyrotropin-releasing hormone is a hormone produced in the hypothalamus that stimulates the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) from the anterior pituitary gland.… Continue reading Quick Thyroid Tour
Thyroid Level Testing for Thyroid Cancer Patients This is a basic outline of the thyroid tests most frequently asked about and are needed to properly monitor thyroid hormone replacement (THR) levels for thyroid cancer patients. TSH - Thyroid Stimulating Hormone: is a hormone produced in the pituitary gland, a small organ located below the brain,… Continue reading Basic Testing Information
The recent publication of Evidence-Based Use of Levothyroxine/Liothyronine Combinations in Treating Hypothyroidism: A Consensus Document brought a breath of fresh air to the thyroid community, especially to those of us on life-long exogenous thyroid hormones because we lost our thyroid to cancer. The Consensus Document, a joint endeavor of the American Thyroid Association (ATA), British… Continue reading Take Patient Blaming Out of the Equation
Thyroglobulin Testing When You Have Positive Antibodies (TgAb} Thyroglobulin (Tg) is produced only by thyroid tissue and is the primary marker for follow up thyroid cancer detection after total thyroidectomy. It is not generally used after a partial or hemi-thyroidectomy as the remaining thyroid lobe will still produce normal levels of thyroglobulin. If you have thyroglobulin… Continue reading Tg Testing with Antibodies
Thyroid Cancer Advocates 