Broadway Performer Says No to Thyroid Cancer Surgery → Surveillance Instead

Jody Gelb is a Broadway singer and actress. Six months ago she was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer, during a doctor's visit for an unrelated issue. This news sparked immediate research and discovering an alternate path that does not include surgery.

In this episode, the following topics are discussed:

Broadway musical and tour
Voice used during work as a performer, singing and acting
Diagnosed with thyroid cancer while going to the doctor for a minor back strain
MRI on back lead to discovery of thyroid nodules
A scare, at one point being told cancer could be medullary
BETHESDA scale
Book by Dr. Gilbert Welch
Incidental findings
Watch and wait or active surveillance as an option to removing your thyroid
Conflicting and inconsistent information from healthcare professionals to the patient
Maximilaist or minimalist
Cultivating a wherewithal to ask questions, even when being told something by a healthcare professional
Dr. Atul Gawande
Dr. Henry Marsh
Choosing active surveillance and then feeling isolated or alienated
Sharing selectively
The importance of Google and Twitter and searching 'papillary thyroid cancer'