Radiation-related thyroid dysfunction: implications for the treatment of Hodgkin's disease
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine (T/sub 4/) were measured in sera from 214 patients with Hodgkin's disease. The literature was reviewed for patients with lymphoma or head and neck carcinoma who had received prior radiation therapy that encompassed the thyroid. Among 169 patients who had been treated with mantle radiation therapy at our center, 112 (66%) had evidence of thyroid dysfunction, including 43 with depressed T/sub 4/ levels. Among 45 who did not receive mantle irradiation, only three had evidence of dysfunction and none of these had T/sub 4/ depression. Thyroid dysfunction developed slowly, with less than 15% of patients tested during the first year showing dysfunction and the maximum of 66% reached at about 6 years. This entity is very common in lymphoma patients yet often is overlooked except in instances of specific thyroid function evaluation for research. A substantial proportion of patients with head and neck carcinoma develops thyroid dysfunction after irradiation, especially if therapy includes hemithyroidectomy. Serum TSH measurement every 6 months for at least 5 to 6 years after irradiation will detect early thyroid dysfunction. All patients with elevated serum TSH should be treated with sodium levothyroxine, regardless of whether they are clinically hypothyroid.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
- OSTI ID:
- 5275748
- Journal Information:
- Ann. Intern. Med.; (United States), Vol. 92:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Thyroxine administration during radiation therapy to the neck does not prevent subsequent thyroid dysfunction
Thyroid dysfunction and neoplasia in children receiving neck irradiation for cancer
Related Subjects
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
HYPOTHYROIDISM
RADIOINDUCTION
RADIOTHERAPY
SIDE EFFECTS
THYROID
DELAYED RADIATION EFFECTS
BLOOD SERUM
CARCINOMAS
COBALT 60
GAMMA RADIATION
HEAD
HODGKINS DISEASE
LOCAL IRRADIATION
LYMPHOMAS
NECK
PATHOLOGY
PATIENTS
SARCOMAS
THERAPY
THYROXINE
TSH
AMINO ACIDS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
BODY AREAS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
COBALT ISOTOPES
DISEASES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENDOCRINE DISEASES
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
GLANDS
HORMONES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IRRADIATION
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MEDICINE
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC IODINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PEPTIDE HORMONES
PITUITARY HORMONES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLOGY
THYROID HORMONES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
560151* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Man
550603 - Medicine- External Radiation in Therapy- (1980-)
550900 - Pathology