From Mary Shomon Your Thyroid Guide
Hypothyroidism Develops in 15% of Patients Treated For Advanced Head And Neck Cancer
According to research, about 15% of patients treated with surgery and radiation for advanced head and neck cancers (except for thyroid cancer) will develop hypothyroidism within an average of around 8 months. Among patients who receive a total laryngectomy, with removal of a thyroid lobe (known as lobectomy) and radiation, approximately 61 percent will develop hypothyroidism. This information was reported in the May 15, 2000 issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology_Head and Neck Surgery. In these patients, hypothyroidism was identified and defined when TSH level exceeded 10, which is several points higher than the typical TSH of 5.0 or 5.5 considered the borderline hypothyroid level at most U.S. laboratories. In addition, the researchers called for continued monitoring of thyroid levels in head and neck cancer patients starting 3 months post-treatment, and continuing every 6 months thereafter for up to 2 years. (May, 2000)
Medscape reference: http://diabetes.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2000/06/06.05/20000605clin014.html
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