Brooke Burke-Charvet’s Thyroid Cancer

This past week Brooke Burke-Charvet, co-host of Dancing With the Stars, announced via YouTube that she has thyroid cancer. Mrs. Burke-Charvet further revealed that she will undergo a thyroidectomy that will completely remove her thyroid gland. Although Mrs.Burke-Charvet lamented having a “big scar” on her neck, prognosis is good; when caught early, thyroid cancer is treatable with a survival rate approaching 100%.

However, after her thyroidectomy Mrs.Burke-Charvet will have to take thyroid medication for the rest of her life — once her thyroid is removed she will be rendered permanently hypothyroid.  Thyroid replacement therapy for Mrs. Burke-Charvet will likely be prescribed in the form of a daily dose of natural or synthetic T4.

Mrs. Burke-Charvet’s thyroid cancer was detected by her physician, who felt a lump during a routine physical. She then underwent a thyroid ultrasound, and finally a biopsy that confirmed the diagnosis.

This story underscores the critical importance of regular checkups with your doctor. Since Mrs. Burke-Charvet is diligent about regular checkups, she caught her thyroid cancer early and now faces a much brighter road to recovery.

Mrs. Burke-Charvet’s announcement also brings attention to the management of hypothyroidism, whether post-thyroidectomy or otherwise. Any surgery, including thyroidectomy, can be very stressful on the body.  Stress can imbalance the thyroid system.  It is vital that the thyroid system be balanced correctly so that patients are able to maintain a normal temperature and to feel very well.  Most people are put on T4 after thyroidectomy because they can no longer make thyroid hormone on their own anymore.  It’s one thing to correct the thyroid hormone deficiency caused by the removal of the thyroid gland but most doctors are unaware or overlook the importance of correcting the thyroid hormone IMBALANCE caused by the stress of the surgery and illness.  You see, there are 3 thyroid hormones that are in balance: the strongest is T3; next is T4; and RT3 is inactive.  To correct the imbalance many patients will require sustained release T3, either alone, or in addition to the T4.  Too many post-thyroidectomy patients continue to suffer the symptoms of fatigue, depression, weight gain and other symptoms of low body temperature even though their thyroid blood tests are normal.

So if you’re reading this, Mrs. Burke-Charvet, we wish you the best. Feel better soon! And if you’d like to try T3 therapy, you can find a caring and qualified doctor on our list.