should all breast cancer patients who had radiation therapy be routinely/repetitively

[Lani]

be screen for hypothyroidism?

1: Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2009 Mar 13. [Epub ahead of print]

Thyroid Function in Women after Multimodal Treatment for Breast Cancer Stage II/III: Comparison with Controls from a Population Sample.

Reinertsen KV, Cvancarova M, Wist E, Bjøro T, Dahl AA, Danielsen T, Fosså SD.
Department of Clinical Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, 0310 Oslo; Faculty Division the Norwegian Radium Hospital, University of Oslo, O316 Oslo, Norway; The Cancer Center, Ullevål University Hospital, University of Oslo, O316 Oslo, Norway.
PURPOSE: A possible association between thyroid diseases (TD) and breast cancer (BC) has been debated. We examined prevalence and development of TD in women after multimodal treatment for Stage II/III BC compared with women from a general population. Secondarily, we explored the impact of two different radiotherapy (RT) techniques (standardized field arrangements vs. computed tomography [CT]-based dose planning) on TD in BC patients examined 35-120 months after primary BC treatment. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 403 BC patients completed a questionnaire about TD and had blood samples taken for analyses of thyroid function. All had undergone postoperative RT with or without (2%) adjuvant systemic treatment. The results in the BC patients were compared with a cancer-free, age-matched control group from a general population (CGr). RESULTS: There was higher prevalence of self-reported hypothyroidism in the BC patients as compared with the CGr (18% vs. 6%, p < 0.001). The raised prevalence was predominantly due to a substantial increase in the development of hypothyroidism after BC diagnosis, whereas the prevalence of hypothyroidism before BC diagnosis was similar to that observed in the CGr. Patients treated with CT-based RT showed a trend for increased post-BC development of hypothyroidism as compared with those treated with standardized field arrangements (p = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS: Hypothyroidism is significantly increased in women after multimodal treatment for Stage II/III BC. Radiation to the thyroid gland may be a contributing factor. BC patients should be routinely screened for hypothyroidism.
PMID: 19286332

[hutchibk]

Wow. The reasons that I am happy I never had radiation to the breast/chest/node area after initial chemo just keep piling up!

[Paty]

My onc ordered a thyroid ultrasound last month, I wonder what he was thinking?... well everything came out fine.

Paty

[Lien]

If you worry about your risk, have a look at: http://www.endocrineweb.com/hypo1.html

In most cases, your doc can test for this with a simple bloodtest.

Jacqueline

[swimangel72]

I didn't get radiation - but after my surgery and 4 months of chemo (Navelbine) I ended up with hypothyroidism. The endocrine connections with BC are only beginning to be understood......including the connection with insulin.

I was wondering about the fact that any time I had a problem the thyroid was one test that they always orderd.