This is the 3rd time I have been diagnosed with cancer. First time I was 20 and had a partial glossectomy w/ radiation therapy. Of course this was 20 years ago and radiation was different, less focused, so more are was radiated. Then in August 2006 I was diagnosed with squamos cell carcinoma again and had more than half of the tongue removed this time, no radiation since previous radiation had been used. We knew at that time I did have some (please excuse spelling) perineural invasion. I hope that is the correct term.
Now it is July, 2007 and I have been diagnosed again with cancer. However this time it is in a totally different spot. It is in my Thyroid, so I will be having the thyroid removed, 3 rings of my trachea, and the left vocal nerve remove. then I will have radiation and chemo. Sorry this is so long, but I need to let you know my history to help with my questions. I have a wonderful group of doctors, her name is Dr. Gourin and Dr. Burkhead of Medical College in Georgia here in the US. Okay my question is I have read that there is a radiation treatment that you can recieve in the blood that attaches to the cancer cells and kills the cancer. Would this be an option for me, even though my cancer is squamos cell carcinoma, it has spread to the thyroid through the blood. At least that is the only path we can come up with. If there are any other alternative treatments please let me know. If I do radiation again that is the last time I can have radiation, surgery and so on on the head and neck area.
Thank you for your time.

Hello goingagain

Sorry to hear about this third stroke of bad luck.

Because radioactive iodine is concentrated in the thyroid gland, it is used to kill the cancerous cells and good cells off. However, the gland also produces thyroid hormones that the body needs, and this production ceases after treastment such that the patient needs to take a thyroxine supplement lifelong.
See: the links in the MCF website's Thyroid Cancer section for more information. Your doctors can give you more information, do ask them what options you have.

Best wishes and good luck.
Vinod