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June 2009
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Clinical Thyroidology for Patients May 2009
Welcome to the first issue of the new format for Clinical Thyroidology for Patients. As before, this will be a collection of summaries of recently published articles from the medical literature that covers the broad spectrum of thyroid disorders. Starting with this issue, 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. Over the next few months, we will be adding new features that will focus on issues that hold a particular interest for patients. We will also include 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:

-- Why is the number of new cases of thyroid cancer exploding in recent years?
-- What is the smallest effective dose of radioactive iodine for initial treatment after surgery for thyroid cancer?
-- Does a diagnosis of Follicular thyroid cancer carry a worse prognosis than a diagnosis of Papillary thyroid cancer?
-- Is there a link between breast cancer and hypothyroidism?
-- How common is under-treatment or over-treatment in the management of hypothyroid patients over the age of 65?

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


May 2009 Volume 2 Issue 1

THYROID HORMONE Hypothyroidism is very common and is treated with thyroid hormone pills, usually in the form of Levothyroxine. In several large population studies, it has been shown that many patients are on too high or too low a dose. In particular, elderly patients are more likely to have a problem if they are over- or under-treated. This study was done to find out how common over- and under-treatment is in elderly hypothyroid patients and what factors may cause this problem.

THYROID CANCER There has been a rapid increase in the number of new cases of thyroid cancer over the last 30 years. Most thyroid cancers occur in women and currently thyroid cancer is the 6th most common cancer in women. With the increased use of imaging and biopsy studies, smaller thyroid cancers can be found. This study was done to determine if the increase in new cases of thyroid cancer was due to finding more of these small thyroid cancers or due to an overall increase in all thyroid cancers.

THYROID CANCER Patients with thyroid cancer are often treated with radioactive iodine (I-131) after surgery to destroy any normal and /or cancerous thyroid tissue that may be left in the neck. This study looked at how well several different doses of radioactive iodine destroyed this thyroid tissue remaining in the neck.

HYPOTHYROIDISM There appears to be a link between breast cancer, hypothyroidism and thyroid cancer. This may be due to the radiation treatments for breast cancer. This study looked at how many patients treated for breast cancer also developed hypothyroidism. It also looked at whether having radiation therapy as a treatment for breast cancer increased a patient’s risk for developing hypothyroidism.


THYROID CANCER There are two main types of thyroid cancer: Papillary thyroid cancer and Follicular thyroid cancer. It has long been known that more people died if they had Follicular thyroid cancer than if they had Papillary thyroid cancer. This study is trying to find if this was because the follicular cancer was a worse cancer or if there are other reasons for this difference.



ATA Alliance for Patient Education

GOAL
 The goal of our organizations is to provide accurate and reliable information for patients about the diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of thyroid diseases.

WHO WE ARE
AMERICAN THYROID ASSOCIATION
www.thyroid.org
ATA Patient Resources: http://www.thyroid.org/patients/
Find a Thyroid Specialist: www.thyroid.org
Phone (toll-free): 1-800-THYROID
e-mail: thyroid@thyroid.org
ATA Mission: The ATA leads in promoting thyroid health and understanding thyroid biology. ATA Vision: The ATA is the leading organization focused on thyroid biology and the prevention and treatment of thyroid disorders through excellence and innovation in research, clinical care, education, and public health. ATA Values: The ATA values scientific inquiry, clinical excellence, public service, education, collaboration, and collegiality. To further our mission, vision and values the ATA sponsors “Friends of the ATA” online to advance the information provided to patients and the public such as this publication, Clinical Thyroidology for Patients. We welcome your support.

GRAVES’ DISEASE FOUNDATION
www.ngdf.org
Phone (toll-free): 1-877-NGDF-123 or 643-3123
e-mail: Gravesdiseasefd@gmail.com
Founded in 1990, the Graves’ Disease Foundation offers support and resources to Graves’ disease patients, their families, and health care professionals. Their mission is to find the cause of and the cure for Graves’ thyroid disease through research, to improve the quality of life for persons with Graves’ disease and their caregivers and to educate persons with Graves’ disease, their caregivers, healthcare professionals, and the general public about Graves’ disease and its treatment. The web site features a monitored bulletin board.

LIGHT OF LIFE FOUNDATION
www.checkyourneck.com
email: info@checkyourneck.com
The Light of Life Foundation, founded in 1997, is a nonprofit organization that strives to improve the quality of life for thyroid cancer patients, educate the public and professionals about thyroid cancer, and promote research and development to improve thyroid cancer care.

THYCA: THYROID CANCER SURVIVORS’ ASSOCIATION, INC.
www.thyca.org
Phone (toll-free): 877 588-7904
e-mail: thyca@thyca.org
ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc., founded in 1995, is an international nonprofit organization, guided by a medical advisory council of renowned thyroid cancer specialists, offering support and information to thyroid cancer survivors, families, and health care professionals worldwide.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Educational forums, patient support groups and other patient-oriented meetings >>

Independent Charities of America Make your tax deductible gift to the American Thyroid Association Now!

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 crucial 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. Could you please send just $10, $15, or $25 to help us continue making lifesaving advances in thyroid research?


Please Donate Online today, and thank you for your help!

American Thyroid Association
6066 Leesburg Pike
Suite 550
Falls Church, Virginia 22041
e-mail: thyroid@thyroid.org
web site: www.thyroid.org

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