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July 2009
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Clinical Thyroidology for Patients June 2009
Welcome to the new format for Clinical Thyroidology for Patients. This publication is a collection of summaries of recently published articles from the medical literature that covers the broad spectrum of thyroid disorders. Clinical Thyroidology for Patients will be published on a monthly basis and include summaries of research studies that were discussed in the previous month’s issue of Clinical Thyroidology, a publication of the American Thyroid Association for physicians. There will also be a Calendar of Events that will highlight educational forums and support groups that are organized by members of the Alliance for Thyroid Patient Education. The Alliance member groups consist of: the American Thyroid Association, the Graves’ Disease Foundation, the Light of Life Foundation and ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors Association.
IN THIS ISSUE, STUDIES ASK THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
-- Is a higher TSH level normal for people over the age of 90 years?
-- Do low thyroid hormone levels in very sick hospitalized patients cause heart problems?
-- What factors make very small thyroid cancers more likely to spread?
-- Are environmental factors playing a role in the rapid increase of new cases of thyroid cancer?
-- Is a higher risk of complications after more aggressive surgery for thyroid cancer worth a higher rate of cure?
We welcome your feedback and suggestions on this new format. Let us know what you want to see in this publication.
Happy reading!
— Alan Farwell, MD
Clinical Thyroidology for Patients June 2009 Volume 2 Issue 2
TSH TSH Recent studies indicate that TSH levels increase with age. It is unclear if this is a normal part of getting older or means that these older people are becoming hypothyroid. The aim of this study is to look at TSH and thyroxine (T4) levels in very old people (>90 yeas old) and compare them with TSH and T4 levels in younger people.
THYROID AND THE HEART Heart function may be decreased in very sick patients in the hospital who have infections, liver disease or other major illnesses, even though they do not have heart disease. In these patients, the heart function returns to normal after they get better. Thyroid hormone levels are also decreased in these very sick patients due to their illnesses for reasons that are unclear. This study looked at whether the decreased heart function was related to the low thyroid levels in these sick patients.
THYROID CANCER Papillary microcarcinoma is a form of thyroid cancer where the cancer is very small. Very few patients with Papillary microcarcinoma will die of their cancer, so it is not clear how aggressive treatment should be for these patients. This study looks at what features in these patients may cause the cancer to come back or spread after the initial treatment ..
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THYROID CANCER The number of new cases of thyroid cancer has been rising over the last 30 years. Most thyroid cancers occur in women and currently thyroid cancer is the 6th most common cancer in women. Part of the reason is likely due to the increased use of imaging and biopsy studies, so smaller thyroid cancers can now be found. However, there is growing awareness that there may be other as yet unidentified causes for the increased number of new cases of thyroid cancer. This study was done to determine the rate of new cases of thyroid cancer and the trends in cancer size in Vigo, Spain, from 1979 through 2001.
THYROID CANCER A total thyroidectomy is the usual first treatment for papillary cancer, the most common type of thyroid cancer. There is a current debate as to how aggressive the initial surgery should be in removing lymph nodes. A common complication of thyroid surgery is low calcium levels (hypocalcemia) after surgery, which may be more common after more extensive surgery. This study looks at the effects of more aggressive as opposed to less aggressive surgery on cancer spread and on levels of calcium after surgery.
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ATA Alliance for Patient Education
The goal of our organizations is to provide accurate and reliable information for patients about the diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of thyroid diseases.
FREE PUBLIC HEALTH FORUM
Thyroid Experts from the American Thyroid Association, and Thyroid Patients join together to inform the general public, thyroid patients, and their friends and families about:
Thyroid Disease and You
Concerned about low energy? memory loss? ... fatigue? …depression … rapid heart beat … restlessness … infertility ... weight or hair changes … a lump on your neck? Could it be your thyroid?
Saturday, September 26, 2009
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Palm Beach, Florida
More Information >>
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Educational forums, patient support groups and other patient-oriented meetings >>
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 Make your tax deductible gift to the American Thyroid Association Now!
 Support valuable patient education and crucial thyroid research. Improved prevention, diagnosis and treatment can give you a new lease on life!
Why the American Thyroid Association? Because the ATA is dedicated to improving the lives of the millions of Americans of all ages living with thyroid problems. The ATA is strongly committed to serving as a resource for the public by promoting the prevention, treatment, and cure of thyroid-related diseases.
Your tax-deductible contribution helps to support valuable patient education and ground-breaking thyroid research – two of our primary goals – with the belief that new discoveries and better understanding will translate into improved ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat thyroid disease.
$10, $15, or $25 from each and every one of the Friends of the ATA will make a significant difference in what is possible from educational, scientific and research programs sponsored by the ATA.
Make your gift to the American Thyroid Association and honor the patient in your life.
Donate Online today, and thank you for your help!
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