Doctor Thyroid

Today's guest is Wendy Sacks, M.D., endocrinologist in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and the Thyroid Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.   Some of the topics covered include radioactive iodine treatment, blood testing, the role of the pathologist, selecting the right hospital and medical team for your thyroid cancer treatment, monitoring thyroid cancer reoccurrence, and supplementation.     

In this episode, Dr. Spencer, Professor of Medicine at University of Southern California, discusses the importance of testing for thyroglobulin-antibodies and thyroglobulin.   Important notes from this interview include: only 10% of nodules are malignant. when getting blood panels each six months, it is very the important to of measure TgAb every time.   consistency is important in blood tests, meaning, use the same laboratory and manufacturer's method every time. the most reliable method of testing TgAb is the machine manufactured by Kronus (RSR) or Roche.  When getting blood tests, be sure to request either of these manufacturers for TgAb results, each of these manufacturers are 100% sensitive. Beckman is  the most commonly used manufacturer, but only is 79% sensitive to TgAb results. always use the same Tg and TgAb methods and the same laboratory.   Dr. Spencer's major areas of research interest are thyroid physiology and pathology, thyroglobulin and thyroid cancer, immunoassay techniques, thyroid hormon

Hear about the advances in thyroid ultra sound technology, along with the patient process from diagnosis to surgery. Key topics in this episode include how to research a surgeon, requesting a second opinion, selecting the best hospital, and the challenges faced when operating on the neck. This episode features Dr. Joseph Sniezek, who is the Medical Director of Head & Neck Endocrine Surgery for Swedish Health Services.  Too often, the time between being told by your doctor to get an ultrasound to biopsy, often results in anxiety and a disconnect between surgeon - radiologist - pathologist.  Now, with better technology, especially in the area of ultra sound, the multiple trips to specialists can be eliminated. 

This episode features Dr. Shawn Soszka. Topics covered in today’s interview include, starting your day right, tendon issues due to thyroid disease, insomnia, dizziness, painful feet, temperature testing, hypothyroidism, low dose Naltrexone, selenomethionine, and why some people feel worse when exercising.   Also, discussed is adrenal function and optimal time of day for body temperature testing as related to the thyroid disease. Dr. Soszka strives to integrate both systems of medicine. a focus on functional medicine, with emphasis on treating gastrointestinal, chronic disease, and endocrine based conditions. He specializes in: fatigue/adrenal exhaustion, thyroid disorders, digestion/gut health, autoimmune diseases.

In this episode hear from Dr. Greg Nigh, a Naturopath in Portland, OR. Dr. Nigh will discuss the following topics: Dangers of garlic and soy Overcoming sugar cravings Hashimotos and hypothyroidism Specialty laboratories The dangers of using TSH as the sole yardstick