2023-12-17 02:01:30
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Do thyroid hormones promote cancer? A professor summarizes the current state of research and explains what thyroid patients should pay attention to.
Science has long been concerned with the question of whether thyroid hormones can affect the development and progression of cancer. Anyone taking thyroid medication may be unsettled by this. Therapy is important in many cases because, depending on how severe the thyroid dysfunction is, the symptoms can be mild to life-threatening. Prof. Dr. med. Feldkamp, director of the University Clinic for General Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetology and Infectious Diseases at the Bielefeld Clinic, has evaluated existing studies on the topic and for the German Society for Endocrinology (DGE) summarized.
Increased risk of cancer due to thyroid hormones?
Thyroid hormones play a crucial role in our body: they are important for organ function, influence body growth and control our metabolism. To put it simply, according to experts at the German Thyroid Center, they can be compared to an accelerator pedal: if we have too many thyroid hormones in our body (hyperthyroidism), our metabolism goes into overdrive. When there is a hormone deficiency (hypothyroidism), the body and soul are at “low speed”. The symptoms are correspondingly diverse. They range from increased sweating, diarrhea and nervousness in the case of an overactive thyroid and hair loss, constant fatigue and low blood pressure in the case of an underactive thyroid, to life-threatening conditions such as impaired consciousness and coma.
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Treatment with thyroid replacement hormones is particularly important if you have an underactive thyroid. The therapy is according to the German Professional Association of German Internists (BDI) Simple: the missing thyroid hormone is replaced by taking thyroxine tablets every day.
In recent years, studies investigating a possible connection between thyroid hormones and the development of cancer have repeatedly caused a stir. This caused uncertainty among the public because the thyroid hormone LThyroxine usually has to be taken for life.
Anyone who suffers from thyroid dysfunction often has to take medication every day (symbolic image). © Bartek Szewczyk/Imago
Study from Sweden analyzes data from 2 million people
Prof. Dr. med. Feldkamp summarizes the studies of the last few years in a specialist article. The most prominent one comes from 2020. Under the leadership of Per Wandelll, Swedish scientists analyzed data from over 2 million adults who had taken thyroid hormones in 2005 and 2006 and compared them with figures from the Swedish Cancer Registry from 2009 to 2015. The result: there were 399,751 new cancer diagnoses, with patients who had taken the thyroid replacement hormone levothyroxine showing a slightly increased risk. Men therefore had a slightly increased risk of thyroid cancer and other gland cancers.
In women, the risk of:
- Breast cancer
- uterine cancer
- The risk of tumors in the stomach, liver, colon, pancreas and urinary bladder was also increased
- Likewise for leukemia
“However, a causal connection between thyroid hormone intake and the development of cancer cannot be constructed from these data,” summarizes Feldkamp. The fact that people who regularly take thyroid hormone go to the doctor regularly and are therefore diagnosed with cancer earlier and more often could distort the data. The level of thyroid hormone levels, the duration of hormone treatment and cancer diagnoses before 2005 were also not taken into account.
Other study results sometimes differ
A study from Norway allows for a more precise comparison, says Feldkamp. Every patient there is given a numerical code that can be used to track the individual course of the disease. This study provides evidence that a low TSH value (sign of early hypothyroidism) is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer and prostate cancer.
Other studies from Scandinavia, Europe and the United States come to different results. Evaluated data from 17,035 women examined (Malmö Diet and Cancer Study) show a slightly increased risk of breast cancer with a high TSH value, with overweight women being particularly affected. On the other hand, women who suffered from autoimmune thyroid disease had a low risk of cancer. Women with thyroid disease in a British study, on the other hand, did not show a significantly higher risk of cancer, whereas participants in an Italian study did.
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What do the results mean for patients?
Feldkamp gives the all-clear for patients not to have a “general fear of cancer”. The study cannot prove a connection with certainty, but it does provide “some signals”. What does this mean for those affected in practice? Treatment with thyroid hormones should only be carried out if there is clear medical necessity, says Feldkamp. The correct dosage is also important and should be checked regularly by a doctor and adjusted if necessary.
Patients should also note that thyroid hormone therapy can lead to interactions with other medications. Foods such as nuts and cabbage can also influence the effects of L-thyroxine. The same applies to coffee, which delays the absorption of the hormone.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Our editorial team is not allowed to answer individual questions about medical conditions.
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