Thyroid Dysfunction from Treatments for Solid Organ Cancers
1. Meaning (Definition) Thyroid dysfunction from treatments for solid organ cancers refers to abnormal changes in thyroid gland function induced by cancer therapies , including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and combination regimens. These abnormalities may manifest as: Hypothyroidism Hyperthyroidism Thyroiditis Subclinical thyroid disease Rarely, structural thyroid damage Rather than arising from primary thyroid disease, these conditions occur secondary to anticancer treatment–related effects on thyroid tissue, immune regulation, or hormonal signaling pathways . 2. Introduction The rapid expansion of modern oncologic therapies has markedly improved survival in patients with solid organ malignancies such as lung, breast, kidney, liver, colorectal, melanoma, and head-and-neck cancers. However, many of these therapies unintentionally disrupt endocrine homeostasis. Among endocrine complications, thyroid dysfunction is one of t...