I know some of the side diseases with ASS make you at a higher risk for certain types of cancer. Has anyone, besides me, been diagnosed with cancer the doctors think is a direct side effect of ASS? Cervical Cancer Free since June

Hi I think you are right although I think there is some risk due to the medication we have to take mainly the immunosuppressants. I keep putting off my cervical cancer screen so i'll book that tommorrow. Thanks and stay well Katrinax

I tested positve for hpv last July. I was ok this July. Don't skip screenings. I have to go yearly now.

Thanks for the prompt had smear and it came back positive going for a colposcopy next week. Fingers crossed Katrina x

My blood work was not looking good.They sent me to a specialist his test came back negative. Only thinking happy thoughts onetouch

I have recently had a borderline result, showing hpv changes, so have to go back for a follow up in 6 months. It's a worry when our bodies can't fight these things because of the immunosuppression. One of the stated risks of taking cellcept is cervical cancer. My doctor has told me that cervical cancer takes a long time to develop, so a borderline change is safe to leave and that it may be that in 6 months the smear is clear, fingers crossed! Hope everything is ok for you next week Katrina x

I hope everyone is doing well!! I am on Cellcept, they found a large lump on my ovary and a small one on my cervix, they went in thinking it was ovarian cancer, with my high risk I had a total hysterectomy, thank god I did, because the cancer was on my cervix and the ovrary was benign! Praying for you Katrina

Hello Guys Thanks for your support. My biopsy came back CIN ll positive plus it showed high risk of HPV. They are confident that a hysterectomy will treat this and other problems that I have. As you most likely know the HPV virus triggers alterations in the cells of the cervix. The consultant explained that the HPV virus is normally kept in check by the immune system however our medication is stopping this from happening. This is why it is important to keep a check on things before they get a chance to develop. Hope you all get good results. Katrina x

Katrina, good luck! The hysterectomy isn't that bad, not very invasive. I hope all goes well for you! Natalie

Will be sending positive thoughts your way for a speedy recovery!

Hi Kat. Prayers and well wishes headed your way, in addition to all the regular ones every day, for everyone... Keep up the good fight. Wayne

In the course of trying to figure out why I have this 'stuck pill' sensation going on in my throat, a neck ultrasound revealed a small nodule on my thyroid. Yesterday the biopsy on that came back positive for a common thyroid cancer called Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma. Going in tomorrow to met with a thyroid tumor specialist. Don't know if this has anything to do with my AS or was just an accidental finding. Will find out more over the next week or so.

Hi Kelly, I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Good luck with the specialist. Take care Cathy

Hey Kelly. Will also be saying an extra prayer for you. Good Luck with the specialist. Wayne

Yesterday I met with a thyroid tumor specialist. The good news is that it's still very small. (so small it probably has little to due with the stuck pill sensation and was just an accidental finding.) They also sent me for a scan of all the lymph nodes in my neck - which was clear for any signs of cancer. Plan is to remove entire thyroid via surgery(2 day hospital stay), long term monitor via blood work and body scans. The biggest concern is getting my lungs through several hours of general anesthesia. The surgeon wants pulmonary team to "optimize" my lung function before surgery. I laughed and said, well yes, isn't that the magical thing we've been after for 2 1/2 years?! Guessing they'll hop me way up on massive steroid doses again. Oy. And I just got down to only 10 mg per day. Surgery in a few weeks. So frustrated as I've been doing so well recently and have got my lungs back up to 60%. oh well. Just have to hunker down and get through this little detour. Thank you for all your kindness. Kelly

good luck with surgery Kelly. i hope everything goes really smooth and your back on track soon.

Hey Kelly. Best of luck with the surgery. Hope all goes well. I have just found out that I have hyperparathyroidism, and the only way to fix it is with surgery. No drugs to help at this time. At least it is only about a 15 minute surgery for it. Don't know yet when that will be happening. They have also done a bunch of scans on my thyroid as something is "abnormal" with it as well. Should get some results back on it in a week or so. Hoping it is fine. They are checking for cancer on it as well. I am kinda curious if this has come about due to the antisynthetase, or if they are just coincidental. Has anyone else out there had any thyroid or parathyroid issues since being diagnosed? Will let you all know the outcome. Take care and God Bless. You are all in my prayers everyday. Wayne

Wayne, Sorry you're going through something similar too. I don't know if AS contributes to it or not. I just read an interesting article: "Iodinated contrast media (ICM), a substance commonly used in imaging procedures such as CT scans and cardiac catheterization, may affect patients' thyroid function, according to a new study in the Jan. 23 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine." I don't know about you, but I've had several high contrast CT scans since being diagnosed, not to mention all the radiation to my neck via all the chest X-rays I've had too. Probably doesn't help matters. Good luck to both of us. Keep me posted on how you're doing. Kelly

Hi Kelly and Wayne Good Luck to you both hope you are both back on track soon. Stay strong and keep us informed. Katrina x

Hi Kat and Kelly Thanks for the well wishes. I will keep you all informed of the outcomes. Kelly, what you are saying is interesting. I have also had many CT scans since this all began, as well as more chest x-rays then I can count. It is really making me think. I will have to try to do some more research on this. Just really sounds a little too coincidental, but we'll see. Hopefully we hear from others too. for now, keep up the good fight, and stay positive. God Bless us all. Wayne

Happy new Year to my as family.. I see we are starting to learn more already. I also have been having trouble swallowing my imuran pills also my throat only hurt when i take those pills. The doctor just change me to cellcept today.This is the first time i have been down to 10mg of prednisone the cough is back in full force only because it feel like something in my throat.I also have a rash on my face it been there for about 3 weeks it came when i started have bad pain an swelling in my hands.I also will ask more questions about this stuck pill sensation. YOU ARE MY FAMILY SO KEEP UP THE FIGHT !!!! God bless sheila

Wayne & Kelly Sorry to read that you have extra worries, as if anti-synthetase isn't enough to deal with! I'll be thinking of you, and sending you healing vibes from the UK x Katrina, have you had your surgery? just wondering how you are, i've been offline for a while and hope that you are doing ok x

Hi Alison Seeing the anaesthetist next week to check out my heart and lungs will probably have epidural. Surgery planned for the being of March. Thankyou for thinking of me. Katrina x

Just wanted to let you know I had a successful surgery last week to remove my thyroid and seem to have emerged without any complications to my lungs. Feeling very relieved. The pathology results revealed a second tumor in the thyroid too but all the lymph nodes were clear so no radioactive iodine follow up treatment needed. Just focusing on recovering and trying to get back up to my medium slow speed. Thanks for your good thoughts. Kelly

Good Good news. You keep up the good fight! onetouch

Hi Kelly. Awesome news. Glad to hear everything has gone well. I saw my surgeon today, and will be having a parathyroid removed very soon. I am waiting for an mri to make sure that there is only one acting up, My surgeon is going to try to push the mri up, and then get the surgery done asap, because the symptoms of hyperperathyroidism can be almost the same as the myositis part of antisynthetase. This way I can really determine how much the medication I am taking is really helping my muscles, and how much the parathyroids are masking it. Will keep you all posted. Take care and God Bless Wayne

Good to hear Kelly. Best wishes of good health to you all.

Wayne, After my thyroid surgery they kept asking me if I was having numbness or tingling around my lips or muscle weakness in my hands and feet as it can be a sign of parathyroid damage. I do have those symptoms but the tingling in the right side of my face is from shingles ( due to a low immune system) and the muscle weakness, well take your pick it could be the disease, prednisone, less exercise, low oxygen..... I have to admit sometimes I just have to throw my hands up and laugh when trying to sort out all these issues or I'd go mad! I pray they figure out what's going on and get on it fast. The less you have to juggle the better. Kelly

Weiner my thyroid was ok till I got sick. Now I have a low thyroid function.

Hello Guys Had surgery last week under spinal. Lost a lot of blood so needed a transfusion it did knock the stuffing out of me a bit. In hospital 5 days in the end now glad to be home and recovering well. Hope you are all taking care. Katrina x

Katrina, wow what a rough time youve been through. Glad you're home now. Hope the rest of your recovery goes well. It's been two weeks since my surgery and I still seem to need a 2 hr nap each day. If only I could siphon off some of my kids' energy to use for myself! Kelly

Hi Kelly and Kat Glad to hear you are both through your surgeries, and doing ok. My prayers and thoughts are with you both. Hoping to get my surgery for parathyroid in next month or so. Hoping it goes well. Keep up the good fight, and God Bless. Wayne

Kelly and Kat Good to hear your surgeries are over and you are both home and recovering. Wayne, I hope you get a date soon, i'm sure the waiting must be frustrating; I know if it was me I would just want to get it done with. Take it easy Alison :o)