Thyroid functions consequences following adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer after mastectomy

Abstract

Author(s): Hany Khairy Mansour* and Laila Mahmoud Ali Hendawy

The goal: It is to evaluate the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on thyroid function in women with diagnosed breast cancer after radical mastectomy and prior to radiotherapy. Patients and interventions: Forty Egyptian women with age ranging from 18 to 60 years who adminstered 5-flourouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide as adjuvant therapy for breast cancer after mastectomy and prior to radiotherapy. Free T3, Free T4, TSH, anti-thyroglobulin antibody and thyroid peroxidase antibody were evaluated prior and after 6 cycles of treatment with chemotherapy. Results: There were highly statistically significant difference in TSH p=0.005 being higher after chemotherapy, also in free T4 values P=0.025 being lower after chemotherapy. There was no statistically significant difference in free T3 P=0.051, Concerning both anti-thyroglobulin and anti-peroxidase there was no change in values before and after chemotherapy Conclusion: Adjuvant chemotherapy in women with breast cancer led to a rise of TSH and lower fT4 levels which although still being in normal, it may grounds for longer follow up to detect overt hypothyroidism later in life.

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