Seminar focuses on thyroid cancer

Joan Hedman and Gail Gundling have a lot in common. They both are from Boston. They both enjoy how the Arizona sky looks when it rains. And they both sport a necklacelike scar — the universal sign for a thyroid cancer survivor.

“One of our friends calls us ‘the cut-throats,’” Hedman said.

The two East Valley women first met two years ago at a cancer support group. Now, they are organizing the state’s first seminar focused on the somewhat rare, but increasingly prevalent disease.

The seminar will be held Saturday. Six medical experts will speak on topics including diagnosis, surgery, treatment and financial assistance.

The National Cancer Institute has reported 33,550 new cases in the United States in 2007, and 1,530 deaths. It is not as prevalent as breast cancer, which has attacked 180,510 patients and killed 40,910.

However, the number of thyroid cancer cases this year is 11 percent higher than a year ago, and double the number reported 10 years ago, according to the Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association.

The good news is that thyroid cancer is treatable if detected early, the association says.

Gundling, of Scottsdale, was first diagnosed when she had three children under the age of 5. She now has seven grandchildren.

She’s been through five operations and goes through periodic screenings. But she said the disease is never cured — just controlled.

“It can come back years later,” Gundling said.

Hedman, 43, of Chandler, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2004. The only indicator of the disease, which is usually painless, was a scratchy voice that wouldn’t go away.

Since then, she’s been through radiation treatment and surgery, a sometimes scary experience.

Hedman said she tried to find other people online who can discuss the disease, but the chat groups weren’t always responsive.

She finally found solace when she joined a support group at the Virginia Piper Cancer Center that meets the last Tuesday of every month.

The best part of finding the group, Hedman said, was “knowing other people were out there who were concerned about things like recurrence.

“Because once you’re told you have cancer, you start freaking out,” she said.

Hedman and Gundling have been planning the seminar since then to reach out to more people like them.

“The response from the medical community has been wonderful,” Gundling said. “The doctors said ‘yes’ right away.”

In the meantime, the two women make a point to tell people to “check your neck,” a self-examination for thyroid problems.

Here’s how it works: Stand in front of a mirror and tip your head back to expose your neck. Take a drink of water, and look for any enlargement in your neck while swallowing. Feel the area to detect any enlargement or bumps. If there seems to be a problem, see a doctor.

Arizona thyroid cancer survivors’ workshop

When: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Scottsdale Healthcare Shea conference center, 9003 E. Shea Boulevard. Entrance on 90th Street.

Cost: Free. Register on site.

Information: (480) 585-5811 or thyca_phoenix@thyca.org