“Can radiation therapy cause thyroid problems?”
I am a 47 year old male. I want to know if radiation therapy can cause thyroid problems?
5 Answers
If you receive treatment to the neck near thyroid gland.
If radiation therapy is aimed at the neck, as in cases of throat cancer or Hodgkin’s disease, the thyroid gland often still functions, but it may be reduced. These patients benefit from low dose thyroid hormone replacement. Radiation therapy patients seldom require full dose thyroid hormone replacement. “Hypothyroid” requiring full thyroid hormone replacement is a common problem, and is considered an autoimmune disease.
Radiation therapy to the region of the thyroid (a neck organ) can commonly cause the thyroid to be less active than normal. A blood test can diagnose this thyroid problem and it can usually be resolved through taking daily thyroid supplements.
Roger Macklis
Roger Macklis
Hi,
Yes, radiation therapy can cause issues with the thyroid. It can cause hypothyroidism or, in some cases, if there is chronic exposure, it can cause thyroid cancer.
Joseph Tortorich, DO
Yes, radiation therapy can cause issues with the thyroid. It can cause hypothyroidism or, in some cases, if there is chronic exposure, it can cause thyroid cancer.
Joseph Tortorich, DO
Radiation therapy can only cause hypothyrodism or other thyroid problems if the thyroid was in the radiation field.
