Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hypothyroidism after radiotherapy for thyroid cancer in dogs
By Amores-Fuster, I et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative oncology·2017·Small Animal Teaching Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Post-radiotherapy hypothyroidism in dogs treated for thyroid carcinomas.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Ten dogs with thyroid cancer developed hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone levels) after receiving radiation treatment. This condition was seen in about half of the dogs treated, with symptoms appearing between one to thirteen months after therapy. The type of radiation treatment didn’t seem to affect the likelihood of developing hypothyroidism. It's important for pet owners to have their dog's thyroid function checked after radiation therapy for thyroid cancer, as this is a common side effect.
People also search for: dog thyroid cancer treatment · symptoms of hypothyroidism in dogs · radiation side effects in dogs
Abstract
Hypothyroidism is a common adverse event after head and neck radiotherapy in human medicine, but uncommonly reported in canine patients. Records of 21 dogs with histologically or cytologically confirmed thyroid carcinoma receiving definitive or hypofractionated radiotherapy were reviewed. Nine cases received 48 Gy in 12 fractions, 10 received 36 Gy in 4 fractions and 2 received 32 Gy in 4 fractions. Seventeen cases had radiotherapy in a post-operative setting. Ten cases developed hypothyroidism (47.6%) after radiotherapy. The development of hypothyroidism was not associated with the radiotherapy protocol used. Median time to diagnosis of hypothyroidism was 6 months (range, 1-13 months). Hypothyroidism is a common side effect following radiotherapy for thyroid carcinomas. Monitoring of thyroid function following radiotherapy is recommended. No specific risk factors have been identified.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26300342/