When a doctor spotted reality-tv contestant, Bree Amer, 37, on a televised interview, he noticed something was wrong. Amer, a former “Big Brother” housemate on the Australian version of the show, had a lump on her neck that looked worrisome. “When I turned my head on the [‘Friday Night Live’] panel, a lump protruded out of my neck – I had an inch and a half tumor that I never noticed,’ Bree told the Daily Mail this week.
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An alert doctor noticed a lump on Bree Amer’s neck, which turned out to be thyroid cancer, during her appearances on a reality-tv talk-show.A year later, when the doctor caught Amer on television again, the lump was bigger. Still, his efforts to contact the reality-tv star were blocked.
A Lucky Coincidence Leads to Diagnosis
Then, luck struck: One of Amer’s former housemates turned up in the concerned doctor’s office. The doctor noted their connection and asked her to pass his concerns along to Amer.
“Eventually I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer,” Amer revealed of her 2006 diagnosis. “I had two surgeries, and radioactive iodine treatment. I was really lucky he got in touch.”
Amer, who now casts reality series like “The Bachelor”, says she’s now ‘well and truly out of the woods when it comes to cancer.’ But, like all thyroid cancer survivors, she continues to monitor her thyroid and track her health with frequent checkups — in her case, every six months. Amer and her husband, Evan, now have two children, putting a happy ending on a story that could have turned tragic.
About Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer can strike at any age, but two-thirds of cases are diagnosed in patients age 20-55, according to American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). 3 out of every 4 cases are diagnosed in women. Breast cancer survivors have a higher risk of thyroid cancer, as well as those who received radiation therapy to treat lymphoma — or to treat acne or tonsilitis before 1950.
The thyroid, a small butterfly-shaped gland in the throat that regulates hormones to control the body’s metabolism. Although thyroid cancer is relatively rare, according to the American Thyroid Association there are four types of the disease:
- Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common type of all thyroid cancers. Papillary thyroid cancer can occur at any age. It tends to grow slowly and spread to lymph nodes in the neck, and generally has an excellent outlook.
- Follicular thyroid cancer makes up about 10% of all thyroid cancers. Follicular thyroid cancer can spread to lymph nodes in the neck, but is more likely than papillary cancer to spread to distant organs, particularly the lungs and bones.
- Medullary thyroid cancer accounts for approximately 2% of all thyroid cancers. Approximately 25% of all medullary thyroid cancer is inherited, and a test for a genetic mutation in the RET proto-oncogene can lead to an early diagnosis and, thus, to curative surgery.
- Anaplastic thyroid cancer is the most advanced and aggressive form of the disease. Anaplastic thyroid cancer is very rare and is found in less than 2% of patients with thyroid cancer. It most commonly occurs in people over the age of 60 years. In some cases it arises in patients who have been diagnosed with papillary or follicular thyroid cancers. While overall survival statistics are discouraging with an average survival rate of 6 months and approximately 1 in 5 alive after 12 months it is important to note that there are long-term survivors.
Signs and Symptoms of Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer can cause any of the following signs or symptoms, according to the American Cancer Society:
- A lump in the neck, sometimes growing quickly
- Swelling in the neck
- Pain in the front of the neck, sometimes going up to the ears
- Hoarseness or other voice changes that do not go away
- Trouble swallowing
- Trouble breathing
- A constant cough that is not due to a cold
Lumps in the thyroid are common and are usually benign. Still, if you have any of these symptoms, it's important to see your doctor so the cause can be found and treated, if needed.
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