Radiation for cancer other than thyroid.

[raglansleeve]

Does radiation treatment for breast cancer affect thyroid medications? Does dose need to be adjusted during or after treatment?

[humanbean]

I can't answer your questions. But I do know that you could ask the staff treating you for a thyroid shield to reduce the radiation dose hitting your thyroid.

Good luck with your treatment, and I hope it achieves its objectives. (I don't know anything about cancer treatment.)

[raglansleeve in reply to humanbean]

That's a really great idea. Thanks for suggesting it.

[HandS]

Hi Raglansleeve

Post-surgery radiotherapy had no impact on my own thyroid medication but we are all different and I would recommend that you ask the question of your Oncologist who can write to your Endocrinologist or doctor if additional testing is needed.

Hormone blockers such as Tamoxifen can interfere with thyroid meds and monitoring/adjustment possibly necessary.

But each person’s needs are specific to that individual and stage of treatment, etc, and your Oncologist will be able to advise. I say this because my experience was that I had to ask the question! Once I did, the information was forthcoming, but not offered until I asked.

Wishing you the very best.

[raglansleeve in reply to HandS]

Thank you for sharing your experience and for the well wishes. I've had the surgery, will be starting radiation soon and then the Tamoxifen (UGH that it will interfere with my thyroid health).

[HandS in reply to raglansleeve]

It’s a tough time and a lonely space to be in when going through treatment and your mind is trying to gather the answers you need. I know I spent hours and hours researching and reading but it did help me have the discussions I wanted to have.

Wishing you good health and a successful outcome x

[raglansleeve in reply to HandS]

Thanks, and what doesn't help at all, is our doctors' lack of understanding with regard to our thyroid health. I fear that the oncologists (and the endo) are just going to blow off my concerns and say that it won't be an issue at all. Research has helped me a lot too, right from the get go. Before my biopsy, with a very high likelihood of malignancy, I started googling and was very relieved to learn that most breast cancers are very treatable. My biggest concern for now is the radiation and my thyroid health. I hope that your journey is going well too.

[irishacres]

hi fellow survivor.

That’s a tricky one

I had breast cancer and had surgery followed by radiotherapy for 5 weeks back in 2012 and have been taking levothyroxine for 30 years.

I guess it might depend on the cause and type of breast cancer. I have since found my TSH spiked in 2012 and previously during menopause. But TSH went down to .<0 01 and has stayed that way ever since. That might be because my cancer was caused by 8/8 oestrogen. I had anti oestrogen therapy after radiotherapy But at the time I had radiotherapy I didn’t know that my TSH went up. It could have been the hormone therapy that caused the spike.

It might be worth asking your Oncologist or Endocrinologist. I had a heart shield and I don’t think the radiation was aimed at my thyroid. They have very specific areas that they target and try not to involve any other organs.

Good Luck I hope all goes well for you ☘️

[raglansleeve in reply to irishacres]

My TSH has been rock bottom since I started T3 treatment a few years ago. I think that I'm going to ask for blood work to be done more regularly, so that I can see for myself what is going on with my thyroid as I do the radiation and then the hormone blockers. I probably should ask both of them. I haven't met the oncologist yet, because my surgery was just a few weeks ago and that appointment will be set up when I go to the surgeon for my follow up this week. I'm also hoping for partial breast radiation, so that my heart, lungs and thyroid are less likely to be damaged. Thanks for sharing your experience and for your kind words.

[blondpalomino in reply to raglansleeve]

Hi raglansleeve, Your TSH will be low if you are taking T3 - Your body is being given T3 so doesn't have to stimulate the thyroid to produce it .My TSH is 0.004 and has been the same for 20 years since I had my thyroid removed and went on T3.

[irishacres in reply to raglansleeve]

If you do go on hormone blockers I would advise you to ask the side effects and a DEXA scan before you start them. In my case the hormone blockers caused osteoporosis and I lost 9% bone density in 2 years. I stopped them as I found out they only gave 7% chance against the cancer returning. I am 12 years clear now but still have osteoporosis.

The radiotherapy is very carefully calculated to avoid the heart and lungs and is unlikely to go as far as your thyroid.

Before you start you will be sent for a CT where they tattoo three little dots to guide the radiographers where to set the area to be targeted.

Radiotherapy is not painful at all. It just takes a lot out of you because of travelling to the hospital every week day.

1 thing I was told by a friend that I found tremendously useful was that on the day after your last treatment it will all hit you and you will feel lost because for months you are told where to go and what to do That was so true and very normal apparently. I’m glad I had that advice

[raglansleeve in reply to irishacres]

Thanks for all of that advice. I appreciate it.