Publication Date: 2023/11/20
Abstract: Radiotherapy (RT) is essential for treating cancer alongside chemotherapy and surgery, improving survival rates, and lowering local recurrence risk in high- risk breast cancer (BC) patients. However, it can lead to thyroid complications like hypothyroidism (HT), especially with higher radiation doses using traditional methods. Higher radiation doses to the thyroid, especially with conventional methods and exposure of the cervical region, increase the risk of HT. External radiation, particularly in the supraclavicular (SCV) and infra-clavicular nodal levels, poses a significant risk to the thyroid, a radiation- sensitive organ. Radiation's negative impact on the thyroid includes late and irreversible effects like atrophy, follicle, and vascular damage. Thyroid size, radiation dose, technique, and clinical factors (age, stage) influence these outcomes and toxicities. As a result, routine thyroid function assessment should be performed for BC patients after radiation. According to the reviewed articles, further study is needed to pinpoint variables and create advanced normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) models. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) must limit the dose to the thyroid to reduce the prevalence of HT. This review aims to outline SCV radiation's impact on thyroid function and factors related to radiation-induced hypothyroidism in breast cancer patients.
Keywords: Radiotherapy; Breast Cancer; Supraclavicular; Hypothyroidism.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10158795
PDF: https://ijirst.demo4.arinfotech.co/assets/upload/files/IJISRT23NOV483.pdf
REFERENCES