Singer-Songwriter Paul Cauthen & His Wife Are Expecting Their First Child Amid His Battle With Thyroid Cancer, a Disease That Made Him Realize ‘Life is Short & Precious’

He wrote alongside the celebratory news, “@elizabethcauthen and I are beyond excited to announce a baby boy is on the way. Spring 2026!!! We have been trying for over four years now. It’s God’s timing not ours. We are ready to bring Lil Velvet into this world.”

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The exciting news comes about one week after Cauthen offered some additional uplifting news—that his upcoming album is in the works.

“I cancelled a bunch of shows this year due to being burnt out and sick…. I got my health right and remembered why I do this in the first place. I’m called to do this. The lord has blessed me in countless ways. I turned my back, I selfishly chose my way instead of just listening to the calling,” Cauthen wrote in another Instagram post.

“Thankful for all of you who made it out to all my shows. We couldn’t do it without you. Boy do we have some songs coming for you!!!! Album is about mixed and ready for master. The band is hot. The team is tight. It just feels right. God bless you!”

Some months ago, Cauthen went public with how he was treating his thyroid cancer, noting how he’d taken a holistic approach to combatting the disease, which prompted many to “shun” him.

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He told Troy Cartwright on the “Ten Year Town” podcast his fight was “going good” and he was “whipping cancer’s a**,” further adding, “I’ve stopped working with people because of this situation. It’s been weird. You want to actually make a call for your own body, and people want to make calls for your body for you. That was the first time I ever had that feeling.

“I guess getting cancer is one of those things that kind of opened up who the real people are in your life that are in it for you and your health and your journey back to your most wanted health.”

RELATED: Alternative Therapies: Don’t Believe Everything You Read on the Internet

It’s important to note that traditional treatment methods for cancer may include surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation regimens. Understandably, these treatments are not easy to deal with as they often bring grueling side effects. Some patients opt for non-traditional treatments to avoid these side effects, while others bypass traditional therapy for other reasons. Examples of non-traditional treatments may include relying on herbal supplements, homeopathic drugs, or a changed diet and lifestyle.

Experts advise that under no circumstances should anyone battling cancer ever substitute approved treatments backed by data and, or FDA registered clinical trials, for alternative, unproven treatments, and that doing so is extremely dangerous.

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Cauthen first shared his thyroid cancer diagnosis back in March 2025, according to People.

In a since-deleted Instagram post, as per People, Cauthen revealed he had “papillary carcinoma” [the most common type of the disease, making up about 80% of thyroid cancer diagnoses] and he needed to take time off of touring to focus on his health.

“I have had a lot of time to reflect and realize that life is short and precious,” he added.

Papillary carcinoma tends to grow slowly and is highly treatable, with an excellent cure rate. It usually develops in just one part (lobe) of the thyroid, according to SurvivorNet’s experts. Even when it spreads to nearby lymph nodes, most patients do very well with treatment. Papillary Thyroid Cancer has a near-100% five-year survival rate if found early and still localized. Even when it spreads, the survival rate is very encouraging.

Understanding Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer occurs when cells in the thyroid gland begin to grow out of control, sometimes forming nodules or lumps. It usually grows slowly, and most cases can be successfully treated.

In the United States, close to 53,000 people receive a thyroid cancer diagnosis each year. Although it can happen at any age, it’s most frequently diagnosed in women in their 40s and 50s and in men in their 60s and 70s.

Thyroid cancer is generally grouped based on the specific cells it develops from.

• Differentiated thyroid cancers, such as papillary thyroid cancer, are the most common. These cancer cells still look somewhat like normal thyroid tissue under the microscope. These typically start in follicular cells, the part of the thyroid responsible for making hormones.
• Non-differentiated cancers can come from the thyroid’s calcium-controlling cells, the immune cells that fight infections within the thyroid, or from follicular cells that are so mutated that they no longer look like thyroid cells under a microscope.

Navigating Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Treatment: What Are My Options?

“Although papillary thyroid cancer is the most common, the other types of cancers tend to be more aggressive and tend to spread more widely, at least in advanced cases,” Dr. Lisa Orloff, a head and neck surgeon at Stanford Medicine, tells SurvivorNet.

It’s important to note that even when thyroid cancer is diagnosed at an advanced stage, there are treatment options. This is a disease where the prognosis is typically very good.

Pregnancy and Fertility After Thyroid Cancer

For many individuals diagnosed with thyroid cancer, building or growing a family remains firmly within reach. While it’s normal to feel anxious about the timing and details of treatment — especially if you need a treatment known as radioactive iodine therapy — countless people successfully become pregnant or father children once they’re medically cleared. By planning carefully, staying in close contact with your healthcare team, and ensuring your hormone levels remain balanced, you can maximize your chances of a healthy pregnancy and a thriving family in the future.

Understanding Thyroid Cancer Types & Treatment Options

Dr. Mara Roth, an endocrinologist and director of endocrine tumor program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interivew that fertility concerns are common among those diagnosed with thyroid cancer as patients are often diagnosed as younger adults.

“That’s a very common situation because thyroid cancer most commonly presents in women of reproductive age,” Dr. Roth explains. “When younger patients present, I start talking about fertility goals right away even in patients who are single who aren’t thinking about fertility yet, because it’s in my mind, even if it’s not yet in theirs, for most patients, this is not going to have any impact on their fertility or their goals for family planning.”

Thyroid cancer can happen in both men and women of any age. However, doctors point out that it often appears in people who are still in the midst of their childbearing years — roughly age 20 to 45. This timing can be jarring because individuals in that age group are frequently planning — or already starting — their families. Experts note that while older adults and men are also affected, women in their 20s to early 40s represent a large portion of newly diagnosed thyroid cancer patients.

What Patients Need to Know About Fertility After Thyroid Cancer

How Treatment Affects Fertility

Thyroid hormones, produced by a small gland at the front of your neck, help govern your metabolism and influence reproductive function. Even when thyroid cancer is highly treatable, you might be concerned about:

• Whether surgical removal of the thyroid (thyroidectomy) affects pregnancy
• How radioactive iodine therapy might delay or complicate fertility plans
• Possible hormone fluctuations that could interfere with conceiving
• The emotional toll of navigating cancer while also thinking about parenthood

Given how common these concerns are, some specialists start discussing fertility and family-planning goals right away, even before treatment begins. This approach ensures that you and your healthcare team can make informed, personalized decisions aligned with your life plans.

“It’s important to realize that these are concerns patients may have. In particular, patients often worry about what’s the impact of radioactive iodine on the need for fertility planning. And what’s very helpful is that there are some really nice studies that show that the ability to get pregnant, to conceive, is no different before or after thyroidectomy and before or after radioactive iodine,” Dr. Roth explains.

Fertility Concerns and Family Goals

After a thyroid cancer diagnosis, your endocrinologist or oncologist may ask about:

• Your Current Relationship or Family Goals: Even if you’re not in a relationship or not actively planning children, it’s wise to think ahead.
• Age and Hormonal Status: A 38-year-old person may need a different approach than someone who is 25, particularly if there is a 6- to 12-month recommended waiting period for pregnancy.

“In women, it’s particularly important because I think about their age in relation to the timing of when they present,” Dr. Roth explains. “For example, if a woman presents with a new diagnosis of thyroid cancer at 38 and she was planning to get pregnant at that time, when we give radioactive iodine, we recommend that they wait at least 6 to 12 months after radioactive iodine therapy before conceiving. So, in somebody who’s in their 35 to 40 age range, this is a really important conversation to say: what are the risks or benefits of deferring radioactive iodine, even if it’s recommended to allow a patient to make their fertility goals and to have the family planning and the timing they want?”

If you’ve experienced hormonal imbalances or reproductive challenges, these factors may also affect your planning. It’s completely normal for these conversations to feel overwhelming at first. Keep in mind that your medical team is there to support and guide you every step of the way.

Impact of Treatment on Pregnancy

Surgical Removal of the Thyroid (Thyroidectomy)

A thyroidectomy can be total (removing the entire gland) or partial (removing just one lobe). Usually, needing this operation does not prevent you from becoming pregnant later.

Key points to keep in mind:

• Replacement Hormones: If your entire thyroid is removed, you’ll need daily levothyroxine (synthetic thyroid hormone) to keep levels steady. Experts emphasize that being on thyroid medication alone does not impair your ability to conceive or have a healthy pregnancy, as long as the dosage is correct and your TSH remains in a safe range.
• TSH Targets: If your body is receiving too much thyroid hormone (making you slightly hyperthyroid), studies suggest it could increase the risk of miscarriage in the first trimester. For this reason, your doctor will aim to keep your TSH within a target range that supports both fertility and healthy pregnancy outcomes.

Radioactive Iodine (RAI) Therapy

RAI therapy may be recommended for papillary or follicular thyroid cancer, typically after surgery. The radioactive iodine helps destroy any leftover thyroid tissue or stray cancer cells. Though RAI therapy itself doesn’t appear to reduce long-term fertility, it does require a waiting period before pregnancy:

For women, many specialists suggest waiting 6 to 12 months after RAI before trying to conceive. This allows enough time for your body to clear the radioactive particles and helps ensure your thyroid hormone levels are stabilized.

Men are typically advised to wait 3 months after RAI before trying to father a child, since sperm production recovers more quickly than egg (oocyte) cycles.

“With men, it’s much less challenging. We do recommend, after radioactive iodine, that they not help conceive a child for three months after radioactive iodine therapy, but it’s not that six to 12 month time period that it is for women,” Dr. Roth explains.

This difference can be critical if you’re in your late 30s and hoping to conceive soon. In such cases, your doctor might discuss whether it’s beneficial to delay RAI if your specific thyroid cancer scenario allows it. Every case is unique, and you should have a thorough talk with your oncologist or endocrinologist about balancing cancer treatment with fertility goals.

Other Treatments

• External Beam Radiation (EBRT): This approach, where a beam of radiation from outside the body targets thyroid cells, can affect fertility more if the radiation field is near reproductive organs, but neck-focused EBRT typically poses minimal direct risk to fertility.
• Chemotherapy/Targeted Therapies: While these are not usually standard for most thyroid cancers, they can be necessary for advanced or aggressive forms. Some of these drugs may impact egg and sperm quality, making it wise to discuss fertility preservation strategies (such as sperm banking or egg freezing) if there’s a risk your treatment could harm reproductive cells.

Timing After Radioactive Iodine Therapy

Since the guidelines indicate waiting 6 to 12 months for women to conceive after RAI, timing can be especially important if you’re in your mid- to late-30s or if you were planning a pregnancy soon.

This might raise questions such as:

• Is it safe to delay RAI to pursue pregnancy first?
• Are there alternative ways to manage your thyroid cancer so you can conceive earlier?

These decisions often revolve around a risk vs. reward discussion. If your thyroid cancer is aggressive and needs quick treatment, it may be risky to delay RAI. On the other hand, some lower-risk cases might allow postponing certain therapies to align with a patient’s fertility timeline. This is where an in-depth conversation with your oncologist, surgeon, and possibly a fertility specialist becomes critical. They can help lay out how urgent treatment is, and whether a short delay might be safe.

TSH Levels, Hormones, and Safe Conception

“We see patients on thyroid hormone who get pregnant without problems and have very healthy pregnancies all the time. The fact that a patient is on levothyroxine will not impair their ability to get pregnant as long as we have the TSH in the goal [range] where it’s recommended. If patients are on too high a dose of levothyroxine and their TSH is suppressed, that can actually increase the risk of miscarriage in the first trimester,” Dr. Roth explains.

Your TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) is produced by the pituitary gland and spurs the thyroid gland (or any remaining thyroid tissue) to create thyroid hormones. After thyroid cancer, many patients take levothyroxine in doses that keep TSH either at normal levels or slightly lower (suppressed), depending on the risk level of their cancer returning.

If you’re hoping to conceive, let your doctor know your plans before you start trying. They can fine-tune your levothyroxine dose to ensure the TSH is in a “baby-friendly” zone, minimizing complications.

“I always tell patients, you’re allowed to call your mother or your parent first when you get pregnant, but you have to call me second. I always get the second phone call because I want them to then get their thyroid labs checked very early on after a positive pregnancy test. And then there are different approaches to this, but I will typically follow a patient’s labs monthly through the pregnancy,” Dr. Roth says.

Practical Steps to Safeguard Fertility

Patients facing a new diagnosis or preparing to undergo thyroid cancer treatment can take some steps to ensure their chances of starting a family in the future remain high.

1. Discuss Preservation: If you’re facing aggressive treatments such as certain chemotherapy drugs or repeated radioactive therapies, ask about egg freezing or sperm banking before starting. Even though it’s rarely needed for standard thyroid cancer care, it can be a safety net.
2. Stay on Top of Hormone Tests: Regularly scheduled TSH, T3, and T4 checks ensure your medication is in balance.
3. Consider a Fertility Specialist: A reproductive endocrinologist can evaluate your ovarian reserve (egg supply) or sperm quality, give advice on timing, and propose interventions if necessary.
4. Coordinate Among Specialists: Endocrinologists, oncologists, and fertility doctors can all weigh in on the safest approach to pregnancy after thyroid cancer.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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