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Thyroid‐stimulating hormone levels after radiotherapy and combined therapy for head and neck cancer
Author(s) -
Weissler Mark C.,
Berry Billy W.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.2880130508
Subject(s) - medicine , radiation therapy , neck dissection , thyroid , thyroidectomy , chemotherapy , hormone , head and neck cancer , thyroid stimulating hormone , thyroid cancer , head and neck , urology , cancer , surgery , oncology
Sixty‐eight patients were studied prospectively with serial thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) levels after radiotherapy for head and neck neoplasms. Overall, 57% of the patients developed elevated TSH levels. Excluding patients with less than 2 years follow‐up, 85% developed an elevated TSH. Ninety‐two percent of patients treated with partial thyroidectomy and radiotherapy developed an elevated TSH. Most TSH elevations occurred within 1 year of treatment. The dose of radiotherapy used and the performance of hemithyroidectomy were related to the development of elevated TSH levels ( p < 0.05). The performance of radical neck dissection, gender, hyperfractionated radiotherapy, and the use of chemotherapy were not related to the development of an elevated TSH ( p > 0.05).