Sangita Patel shares thyroid cancer update with fans: 'I need to heal'
The 45-year-old mother-of-two was diagnosed with a rare form of thyroid cancer in 2023.
Sangita Patel is sharing a positive health update with her fans. On Thursday, the former "ET Canada" host, took to Instagram to give followers an update on her journey with thyroid cancer.
According to the 45-year-old, her most recent pathology report for her left thyroid showed there were no C-cells (parafollicular cells), which secrete hormones and can become cancerous.
Patel, who was on holiday in Portugal when she received the news, said she had a "heart-to-heart" with her doctor during their last meeting.
"It's a conversation that changed me because it made me realize that I really need to sit with everything that I've gone through," she said. "He's right, I'm not patient. I need to heal mentally, I need to heal physically."
Patel said there were still physical hurdles to overcome from her recent procedures: "I can't feel my lower lip...I've got scar tissue all over my neck, a warrior scar that I'm trying to heal. Heal all of this... Heal, heal, heal."
The mother-of-two said the next step in her treatment is radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy, a common procedure for thyroid cancer patients. It involves using radioactive iodine to destroy any remaining thyroid tissue or cancer cells after surgery. This treatment helps to limit the risk of cancer recurrence and is a crucial step in ensuring complete recovery, according to the Canadian Cancer Society.
"Hopefully, I just need to do it once, and then I'll be in the clear. Then, guys, I'm going to start a new chapter in my life... I'm going call it 'Sangita the Warrior,'" she said.
In her caption, Patel said being in Portugal has helped her as she tries to heal. "It's painful at times. But that’s not holding me back," she added.
In November 2023, Patel shared an emotional reel discussing the pathology report that first revealed her she had invasive oncocytic carcinoma. Oncocytic carcinoma, also known as Hürthle cell carcinoma, is a rare type of differentiated thyroid cancer, accounting for less than 5 per cent of all thyroid cancers.
Typical symptoms pointing to Hürthle cell carcinoma include a growth forming in the neck or throat area, difficulty breathing and swallowing, and it has also been known to trigger changes to the voice.
Surgery to remove the tumour is the "mainstay" of treatment options, however, if the cancer is more larger and more aggressive, it may require a "total thyroidectomy."
Patel has said that if she doesn't do treatment, her type of cancer has the potential to "come back in five years" in her bones or lungs.
In June, Patel shared a health update following her second surgery. The TV host shared a photo of herself in her hospital bed to Instagram, writing: "Second surgery was a success. I'm still high. Kidding aside, last few weeks have been hard mentally knowing this surgery was coming up. But now that phase two of my three-part program to make sure this 'C' stuff is out of my body is complete, I'm feeling relieved."
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