Thyroglobulin lab- what does it mean?

DebE13 · Post by **DebE13** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 5:08 am

I'm looking over my labs done on the 16th and everything is falling in the normal ranges as usual- many on the low ends of normal but there are two that are not. Meeting with my endo, he says my blood work is normal but on my medical notes it indicates abnormal thyroid blood test.

Thyroglobuln (Thy'Gl). 70.8 normal 0.0-43.0 ng.mL
TA-TG <20. Normal 20-40 IU/mL

Assuming the top number would be off due to the cancer- just curious

JFR · Post by **JFR** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 5:37 am

Deb,
I know nothing about thyroglobulin but I just looked it up on wiki and this is what it says:

Thyroglobulin levels in the blood can be used as a tumor marker[4] for certain kinds of thyroid cancer (particularly papillary or follicular thyroid cancer).

I can only imagine how hard this is to handle, especially the waiting.

Jean

DebE13 · Post by **DebE13** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 6:08 am

Thanks Jean, that makes sense since its papillary cancer that I have.

I'm just plain grumpy that I have to wait so long. I've tried everything to get it sooner but it just isn't going to happen. I have a very experienced surgeon so I want to stay with him. I sleep and lay around most of the time which isn't what my mind wants to do. I'm not so much scared as impatient. After feeling so bad for such a long time I'm actually excited at the possibility of getting my life back. I may be eating those words after the surgery but I am motivated to do what's necessary (like I have a choice, anyway

)

19 days. The countdown has begun!

Post by **tex** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 9:57 am

Hi Deb,

Thyroglobulin (Tg) is used by the thyroid gland to produce T4 and T3. Nodules on the thyroid gland tend to produce Tg also, and since this is illegitimate production, it is outside of the normal feedback monitoring and control system, so it leads to excessive production of T4 and T3, sometimes resulting in hyperthyroidism symptoms.

As Jean noted, the Tg test is primarily used as a tumor marker to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment for thyroid cancer and to monitor for recurrence. Not every thyroid cancer will produce Tg, but the most common types (papillary and follicular thyroid cancer), often do, causing an elevated Tg lab result.

In practice, the Tg test is usually ordered, along with a TSH test, prior to thyroid cancer treatment, in order to determine whether the cancer is producing thyroglobulin. And if it is, then the Tg test can be used during treatment (or following surgery), to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment.

Your Tg result clearly shows that too much Tg is being produced, so obviously the cancer is responsible for much of that.

Tex

DebE13 · Post by **DebE13** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 11:05 am

Thanks Tex,

I was starting to get confused because I was being told labs were normal but reading in my reports that they were not.

Post by **tex** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 12:11 pm

Deb,

Whoever told you that your labs were normal was referring to the conventional lab results (TSH, T4, T3, etc.), and they obviously didn't consider your Tg result. It may have been off their radar because they didn't understand what it means (since they don't normally see that result).

Tex

DebE13 · Post by **DebE13** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 5:30 pm

Can you remind me why I am paying so much money for professional advise that seems to be lacking?

I'm probably the most sensitive person ever to take being categorized as being "normal" as an insult!
Oh yeah, I'm hoping my moodiness evens out too.