Professor Akira Miyauchi (Figure 1) is President and COO of Kuma Hospital, Center of Excellence in Thyroid Care, Kobe, Japan. He is a Japanese endocrine surgeon, and a pioneer in active surveillance, and visionary in regard to treatment of thyroid cancer. World renowned researcher, and lecturer. As the associate professor of the Department of Surgery, Kagawa Medical University, he proposed and initiated a clinical trial of active surveillance for low-risk papillary micro cancer in collaboration with Kuma Hospital in 1993. In 2001, he was appointed the President of Kuma Hospital. Since then, he has been keen on the study of evaluating treatments for papillary micro cancer, observation versus surgery.
During this episode, the following topics are discussed:
Total cost of surgery is 4.1x the cost compared to the cost of active surveillance. In the U.S., the cost is higher.
By providing patient an active surveillance brochure prior to FNA, they are more open to not proceeding with surgery for small thyroid cancer management.
Patient voice restores to near normal when repair of laryngeal nerve is done correctly. All surgeons should be executing this to perfection.
When doing next stretches one-day post surgery, patients report feeling much better and less pain, even one year after surgery.
Protocol for delaying surgery depends on the patient’s age. Older patients are less likely to require surgery. 75% of patients will not require surgery for their lifetime.
NOTES
21: Diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer and You Say No to Surgery with Dr. Louise Davies
PAPERS and RESEARCH
Estimation of the lifetime probability of disease progression of papillary microcarcinoma of the thyroid during active surveillance
Ezra Cohen, MD, is a board-certified oncologist and cancer researcher. He cares for patients with all types of head and neck cancers, including esophageal, thyroid and salivary gland cancers.
Dr. Cohen is also an internationally recognized expert on novel cancer therapies and heads the Solid Tumor Therapeutics program at Moores Cancer Center. Much of his work has focused on squamous cell carcinomas and cancers of the thyroid, salivary gland, and HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers. As a physician-scientist, he is especially interested in developing novel therapies and understanding mechanisms of sensitivity or resistance; cancer screening; and using medication and other agents to delay or prevent cancer (chemoprevention). He was recently appointed chair of the National Cancer Institute Head and Neck Cancer Steering Committee, which oversees NCI-funded clinical research in this disease.
Dr. Cohen is editor-in-chief of Oral Oncology, the most respected specialty journal in head and neck cancer. A frequent speaker at national and international meetings, he has authored more than 120 peer-reviewed papers and has been the principal investigator of multiple clinical trials of new drugs in all phases of development.
In this episode, topics include:
NOTES
Kimberly Vanderveen, MD is a Colorado native and graduate of Bear Creek High School in Lakewood, CO. She received her bachelor’s degree with honors from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. She then earned her medical degree from Northwestern University in Chicago, IL in 2001. Dr. Vanderveen completed her surgical residency at UC-Davis in Sacramento, CA. During her residency, she also obtained a master's degree in Clinical Research and was actively involved in cancer research and education. After her surgical training, Dr. Vanderveen completed a fellowship in Endocrine Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. She is knowledgeable in both medical and surgical aspects of endocrine diseases. She specializes in surgery for diseases of the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands and is a high volume neck and adrenal surgeon.
In this episode, the following topics are discussed:
NOTES
PAST EPISODES
A native of Saskatchewan, Canada, Dr. Kaptein began teaching at the Keck School of Medicine in the Endocrinology Division in 1977. She became a tenured Professor of Medicine in 1990, a position she currently holds. Dr. Kaptein is a distinguished member of the Western Society for Clinical Investigation, American Society of Nephrology, the Endocrine Society and the American Thyroid Association. An accomplished researcher and lecturer, Dr. Kaptein has been invited to speak on the topics of Endocrinology and Nephrology in such cities as Montreal, Milan, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Vienna and Rotterdam, to name a few.
In this interview, Dr. Kaptein discusses the need to consider each patient before making treatment decisions. In some cases, this may mean foregoing the removal of cancerous lymph nodes.
NOTES
Carmelo Nucera, M.D., Ph.D., is currently an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, Boston, in the Division of Cancer Biology and Angiogenesis (Department of Pathology), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Nucera received his M.D. and Ph.D. in Experimental Endocrinology and Metabolism from Italy.
Dr. Nucera is highly driven by an intense desire to make important contributions that will directly benefit patients. Dr. Nucera is strongly committed to make discovery aimed to immediately cure patients that are suffering with aggressive tumors and rare/orphan cancer disease.
Dr. Nucera has a clinical background and intensely served patients with fatal human diseases.
In this episode, Dr. Nucera discusses a combination drug therapy using vemurafenib and palbociclib represents a novel therapeutic strategy to treat papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).
NOTES
Carmelo Nucera
Researchers identify novel therapeutic strategy for drug-resistant thyroid cancers
Publication: Thyroid Cancer and resistance to BRAFV600E inhibitors
American Thyroid Association
Dr. Paul Y. Casanova-Romero, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.E, E.C.N.U, que se unió a Palm Beach Diabetes y Endocrine Specialists en 2012, recibió su grado médico con honores (Summa Cum Laude) y Doctor en Ciencias Médicas (DMSc), de la Universidad de Zulia, la Escuela de Medicina en Venezuela. Posteriormente se unió a la facultad de su Alma Mater y en 1998, el Grupo de Investigación del Programa de Prevención de la Diabetes (D.P.P.) en el Instituto de Investigación de la Diabetes-Universidad de Miami. Completó su posgrado en Medicina Interna y Endocrinología (Jackson Memorial Hospital) y estudios de postgrado en Salud Pública (M.P.H.) con el Premio de Mérito Académico en la Universidad de Miami.
Un consultor privado endocrinólogo y orador nacional desde 2006, el Dr. Paul Y. Casanova-Romero de investigación extensa sobre la prevención de la diabetes, trastornos de la tiroides, síndrome metabólico y otros trastornos endocrinos han sido ampliamente publicadas. Sigue colaborando en estudios de investigación en Estados Unidos y Latinoamérica, el más reciente en pruebas moleculares de tiroides. El Dr. Casanova-Romero está certificado por la Junta en Medicina Interna, así como en Endocrinología, Diabetes y Metabolismo. Es miembro del Colegio Americano de Endocrinología (F.A.C.E.) y miembro del Colegio Americano de Médicos (F.A.C.P.). Actualmente es profesor voluntario de medicina en la Universidad de Miami.
Dr. Paul Y. Casanova-Romero se especializa en el tratamiento de la enfermedad de la tiroides incluyendo nódulos tiroideos, hipotiroidismo, hipertiroidismo y cáncer de tiroides, enfermedad paratiroidea, diabetes, pre-diabetes, trastornos lipídicos y otros trastornos endocrinos. Él ha estado usando la prueba molecular para la caracterización de los nódulos de la tiroides desde 2010. Él ha satisfecho con éxito los requisitos para la certificación endocrina en el ultrasonido del cuello (ECNU) para realizar la biopsia internamente guiada por ultrasonido de la aspiración de la aguja fina de nódulos de tiroides, de la paratiroides, nodos.
Es miembro del panel de membresía de la American Thyroid Association, miembro activo de la Endocrine Society, la Asociación Americana de Endocrinólogos Clínicos, la American Diabetes Association, el American College of Physicians y la National Lipid Association.
En esta entrevista hablamos sobre esta temas:
MAS INFORMACIÓN
Dr. Lisa Sardinia is an associate professor in the Pacific University Biology Department. She received a B.S. in Biology from Whitworth College, a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Montana State University and a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
Following graduate school, she was awarded a National Cancer Institute research fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco studying molecular genetics.
At Pacific University, she teaches Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Basic Science for Optometry and Human Genetics for Physician Assistants. She has been the recipient of the Thomas J. and Joyce Holce Endowed Professorship in Science and the S.S. Johnson Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching at Pacific University.
In the episode, we discuss:
NOTES
The American Gut
Michael Pollan ‘Some of My Best Friends Are Germs’
An Epidemic of Absence
How Emulsifiers Are Messing with Our Guts (and Making Us Fat)
Dr. José A. Hakim realiza más de 400 cirugías al año. Es cirujano general. Especialista en cirugía de cabeza y cuello en relación con el cáncer.
En este entrevista, hablamos sobre:
Dr. Hernán Tala es endocrinólogo de la Clinica Alemana en Santiago, Chile. Su area especialidad incluye cáncer de tiroides avanzado, endocrinologia general, y enfermedades tiroides.
Los temas presentados incluyen:
REFERENCIA:
American Thyroid Association (español)
This episode is recorded from Boston and the World Congress on Thyroid Cancer, where leading doctors and researchers have gathered to share the latest medical research and trends related to thyroid disease.
At the Congress, Dr. Okamoto presented on Thyroid Cancer Guidelines Around the World
He helped write the Japanese guidelines on thyroid cancer. He is Professor & Chair of the Department of Surgery at Tokyo Women’s Medical University.
Key points from this episode include:
NOTES
Book: Treatment of Thyroid Tumor: Japanese Clinical Guidelines
RELATED EPISODES
This episode is recorded from Boston at the World Congress on Thyroid Cancer, where thyroid doctors and researchers gathered to share the latest medical research and medical improvements related to thyroid disease.
Dr. Özer Makay is an expert in nerve monitoring during thyroid surgery, and has been a guest faculty member in South Korea, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Bulgaria.
He has received 17 awards and honors for his scientific studies. He has authored a 300-page book on nerve monitoring during thyroid surgery.
This episode covers the following topics:
Also discussed are thyroid cancer trends in Turkey including:
Biography: In the words of Dr. Özer Makay
I was born in 1974 in the Netherlands. After finishing the primary school there, I completed my secondary and high school educations at Bornova Anatolian High School in Izmir/Turkey. I graduated from Ege University, School of Medicine and started my residency at the General Surgery Department of Ege University, School of Medicine. During my studentship, I did my surgical internship at London King’s College Hospital. During my surgical residency, in 2002, I received education regarding “Laparoscopic Surgery” at Free University Hospital, Amsterdam from Prof. Miguel Cuesta and carried out scientific studies there. I had the opportunity to meet with the robotic surgery system here and did use this system at the experimental investigation laboratory.
After being a specialist registrar in May 2005, I started to work at the division of “Endocrine Surgery” of the General Surgery Department of Ege University. During my fellowship, I worked under the supervision of Prof. Enis Yetkin, Prof. Mahir Akyıldız and Prof. Gökhan İçöz. During this period, I became the first Turkish surgeon to have the right to get the title “Fellow of European Board of Surgery – div. Endocine Surgery” by passing the “UEMS Board Examination for Endocrine Surgery”. At the Ege University, we started the “Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy Programme’ in 2008, together with Prof. Dr. Mahir Akyıldız. Besides, the “Robotic Surgery Programme’ was launched in 2012. I promoted to “Associate Professor of Surgery” in 2012. I have been invited to become a member of the European Board of Endocrine Surgery Committee. This makes me the first Turkish member of this committee. Besides, I was chosen as “the national representative” of a “European Union Health Project” concerning this area.
To date, I own more than 80 national and international publications. Furthermore, I participated in more than 30 national and international scientific meetings as speaker, instructor and guest surgeon. I served as president, scientific secretary or organization/scientific committee member for national and international congresses and meetings. I had been in South Korea, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Bulgaria as guest faculty member. I received 17 awards and honors because of my scientific studies presented during national and international scientific congresses. I speak English, Dutch and German fluently and Spanish at elementary level.
My essential areas of interests are “endocrine surgery” and “robotic surgery”. As Ege University, we are the most experienced center of our country regarding “robotic adrenalectomy”.
NOTES
La glándula tiroides es un órgano importante del sistema endocrino. Está ubicada en la parte anterior del cuello, justo por encima de donde se encuentran las clavículas. La tiroides produce hormonas que controlan la forma como cada célula en el cuerpo usa la energía. Este proceso se denomina metabolismo.
Hipotiroidismo es una afección en la cual la glándula tiroides no produce suficiente hormona tiroidea. Esta afección a menudo se llama tiroides hipoactiva.
Este episodio Dra. Gabriela Brenta discute sobre hipotiroidismo, las causas, los síntomas, pruebas y exámenes, el tratamiento, pronóstico, posibles complicaciones, y cuándo contactar a un médico.
Dra. Gabriela Brenta, M.D., Ph.D.
Docente de post grado de la Universidad Favaloro y de las carreras de Especialista en Endocrinología así como de Bioquímica Clínica dependientes de Universidad de Buenos Aires. Médica adscripta en el Servicio de Endocrinología y Metabolismo de la Unidad Asistencial Dr. César Milstein de Buenos Aires, Sector Tiroides. Presidente del Comité Científico de la Sociedad Latinoamericana de Tiroides. Miembro del Dpto. de Tiroides de la Sociedad Argentina de Endocrinología y Metabolismo. Su área de investigación clínica abarca el efecto cardiovascular y metabólico de las hormonas tiroides.
Doctor Califano es Endocrinóloga del Instituto de Oncología AH Roffo, Universidad de Buenos Aires.
Es miembro del Departamento de Tiroides de la Sociedad Argentina de Endocrinología y Metabolismo y de la Sociedad Latinoamericana de Tiroides.
Es coautora del Consenso Multisocietario Argenino para el Manejo del Cáncer de Tiroides Diferenciado.
En esta entrevista, discutimos lo siguiente:
This is an in depth discussion about the connection between flame retardants and plastics, and thyroid cancer. These chemicals, also known as endocrine disruptors, have a clear connection to thyroid cancer occurrence.
The research is presented by Julie Ann Sosa, MD MA FACS is Chief of Endocrine Surgery at Duke University and leader of the endocrine neoplasia diseases group in the Duke Cancer Institute and the Duke Clinical Research Institute. She is Professor of Surgery and Medicine. Her clinical interest is in endocrine surgery, with a focus in thyroid cancer. She is widely published in outcomes analysis, as well as cost-effectiveness analysis, meta-analysis, and survey-based research, and she is director of health services research.
NOTES:
Study Associates Flame Retardants with Papillary Thyroid Cancer
Flame retardants used in furniture may increase thyroid cancer risk
Trends in Thyroid Cancer Incidence and Mortality in the United States, 1974-2013
I sometimes get asked, why am I doing this podcast?
What started out as a pet project is now being listened to in over 30 countries and with as many as 20000 downloads per episode. So far, thyroid patients are embracing the opportunity to hear from the world’s leading thyroid doctors, and gaining the information needed to make better decisions related to health.
So why did I start Doctor Thyroid?
My motivation for doing this podcast is to help patients avoid bad experiences related to thyroid cancer and thyroid disease, including bad surgery. And, provide resources to help make better health decisions and improve quality of life.
My thyroid surgery resulted in errors, which have downgraded my quality of life significantly. Knowing what I know now, I would have picked a different surgeon, or chosen no surgery at all. Because, as this interview will discuss, although perceived as safe, thyroid surgery is not without risks.
To be published next month, new research reveals thyroid surgery errors are five times more likely than previously reported.
The study was conducted by Dr. Maria Papaleontiou. She is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine with an appointment in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes. She graduated medical school from the prestigious Charles University in the Czech Republic and subsequently spent several years conducting research at the Geriatrics Division at Weill Cornell Medical College. She then completed her internal medicine residency at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Jersey and her endocrinology fellowship at the University of Michigan. She joined the faculty at the University of Michigan in 2013. She is a recipient of Fulbright and Howard Hughes Medical Institute scholarships. Dr. Papaleontiou’s practice focuses on thyroid disorders and thyroid cancer. She is especially interested in the treatment of endocrine disorders in older adults. She also conducts health services research in the field of thyroidology and aging.
NOTES
Complications from thyroid cancer surgery more common than believed, study finds
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
RELATED DOCTOR THYROID INTERVIEWS
Dr. Ralph Tufano: Be Careful, Not All Surgeons Are Equal and Here is Why
Dr. Gary Clayman: The Single Most Important Question to Ask Your Surgeon
Dr. Allen Ho: Rethinking Thyroid Cancer – When Saying No to Surgery Maybe Best for You
Dr. Rashika Bansal is a PGY-2 resident in Internal Medicine at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson, NJ. Her major research has been with diabetes prevalence and awareness in rural India, with special interest in thyroid disease.
In this episode Dr. Bansal shares the research she presented at AACE 2017 and ENDO 2017, regarding the poor readability scores for thyroid cancer web sites.
The challenge for these web sites and health institutions is to translate thyroid education from complex to simple and easy to understand. Currently, many patients are not following with treatment, citing confusion after being exposed to the various thyroid cancer education resources.
NOTES
Thyroid Education Scores Low for Readability
Thyroid patient education materials not adequately targeted to patient reading level
Weighing treatment options for thyroid cancer, with deep consideration for the patient’s lifestyle, could become the new norm in assessing whether surgery is the best path.
Dr. Allen Ho states, “if a patient is a ballerina or an opera singer, or any other profession that could be jeopardized due to undesired consequences of thyroid cancer surgery, then the best treatment path maybe active surveillance.” Undesired consequences of thyroid cancer surgery could be vocal cord paralysis, damage to the parathyroid glands resulting in calcium deficiencies, excessive bleeding or formation of a major blood clot in the neck, shoulder nerve damage, numbness, wound infection, and mental impairment due to hypothyroid-like symptoms. Or in the case of a ballerina, undesired scarring could jeopardize a career.
The above risks occur in approximately 10% of thyroid cancer surgeries. Although, some thyroid cancer treatment centers have a much more reduced incidence of undesired consequences, while others much higher.
In order to address the above and remove the risk of thyroid cancer surgery, Cedars-Sinai has become the first west coast hospital to launch an active surveillance study as optional treatment for thyroid cancer. The study includes 200 patients from across the country who have chosen the wait and see approach rather than hurry into a surgery that could result in undesired, major life changes. By waiting, this means these patients will dodge the need to take daily hormone replacement medication for the rest of their lives as the result of a thyroidectomy.
Other active surveillance research
Although this is the first study for active surveillance on the west coast, other studies are ongoing, including Sloan Kettering as directed by Dr. Tuttle, Kuma Hospital in Kobe as directed by Dr. Miyauchi, and the Dartmouth Institute as directed by Dr. Louise Davies.
The team
Dr. Ho says the “de-escalating” of treatment for thyroid cancer will become the new trend. The active surveillance thyroid cancer team at Cedars-Sinai is orchestrated to the patient’s needs, and includes the pathologist, endocrinologist, and surgeon.
About Dr. Allen Ho
Allen Ho, MD, is a fellowship-trained head and neck surgeon who focuses on head and neck tumors, including HPV(+) throat cancers and thyroid malignancies. As director of the Head and Neck Cancer Program and co-director of the Thyroid Cancer Program, he leads the multidisciplinary Cedars-Sinai Head and Neck Tumor Board, which provides consensus management options for complex, advanced cases. Ho's research interests are highly integrated into his clinical practice. His current efforts lie in cancer proteomics, HPV(+) oropharyngeal cancer pathogenesis, and thyroid cancer molecular assays. He has presented his research at AACR, ASCO, AHNS, and ATA, and has published extensively as lead author in journals that include Nature Genetics, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cancer, and Thyroid. Ho serves on national committees within the ATA and AHNS, and is principal investigator of a national trial on micropapillary thyroid cancer active surveillance (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02609685). He maintains expertise in transoral robotic surgery (TORS), minimally invasive thyroidectomy approaches, and nerve preservation techniques. Ho’s overarching mission is to partner with patients to optimize treatment and provide compassionate, exceptional care.
NOTES
MSKCC thyroid cancer active surveillance
Active Surveillance of Thyroid Cancer Under Study
What Happens When Thyroid Cancer Travels to the Lungs?
Fabian Pitoia, M.D., serves as the Head of the Thyroid Section of the Division of Endocrinology and Investigation Area Coordinator at the Hospital de Clinicas of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). He works also as an Proffessor of internal medicine at the Faculty of Medicine (UBA).
Dr Pitoia serves as a Full Member of the Argentine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism, of the Latin American Thyroid Society, the Endocrine Society and he is a Correspondent Member of the American Thyroid Association.
In this episode Dr. Pitoia addresses the following topics:
RESOURCES
Hospital de Clínicas de la Universidad de Buenos Aires - Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Consultorio privado: Pte. J.E. Uriburu 754 - Piso 2. Teléfonos: 49545488/49525496 fpitoia@glandulatiroides.com.ar
Bienvenido al episodio 33 de Doctor Thyroid con Philip James.
El invitado de hoy es Dr. Fabian Pitoia. El Dr. Pitoia es un experto endocrino mundial, que aparece en muchas publicaciones y conferencias mundiales, donde habla de cáncer de tiroides. El Dr Pitoia es médico endocrinólogo, está encargado de la Sección Tiroides de la División Endocrinología del Hospital de Clínicas de la Universidad de Buenos Aires.
En este episodio, el Dr. Pitoia responde las siguientes preguntas:
Recursos:
American Thyroid Association - Español
Hospital de Clínicas de la Universidad de Buenos Aires - Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Consultorio privado: Pte. J.E. Uriburu 754 - Piso 2. Teléfonos: 49545488/49525496 fpitoia@glandulatiroides.com.ar
El término nódulo tiroideo se refiere a cualquier crecimiento anormal de las células tiroideas formando un tumor dentro de la tiroides. Aunque la gran mayoría de los nódulos tiroideos son benignos (no cancerosos), una pequeña proporción de estos nódulos sí contienen cáncer de tiroides. Es por esta posibilidad que la evaluación de un nódulo tiroideo está dirigida a descubrir un potencial cáncer de tiroides.
En esta entrevista, el Dr. Castro explica los siguientes temas:
M. Regina Castro, MD es consultante en la División de Endocrinología de la Clínica Mayo de Rochester, MN. Es Profesora Asociada de Medicina. Es Directora Asociada del Programa de entrenamiento en la especialidad de Endocrinología, y Directora de la rotación de Endocrinología para la Residencia de Medicina Interna. También es miembro del Grupo de Tiroides de la Clínica Mayo. Ella sirvió de 2009 a 2015 como Editor de Sección de la Tiroides para el Programa de Autoevaluación de AACE y ha sido autora de varios capítulos sobre Hipertiroidismo, Nódulos de Tiroides y cáncer
Notas
American Thyroid Association en Español
In this episode Dr. Bernet describes that Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition that usually progresses slowly and often leads to low thyroid hormone levels — a condition called hypothyroidism. The best therapy for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is to normalize thyroid hormone levels with medication. A balanced diet and other healthy lifestyle choices may help when you have Hashimoto’s, but a specific diet alone is unlikely to reverse the changes caused by the disease.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis develops when your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks your thyroid. It’s not clear why this happens. Some research seems to indicate that a virus or bacterium might trigger the immune response. It’s possible that a genetic predisposition also may be involved in the development of this autoimmune disorder.
A chronic condition that develops over time, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis damages the thyroid and eventually can cause hypothyroidism. That means your thyroid no longer produces enough of the hormones it usually makes. If that happens, it can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, sluggishness, constipation, unexplained weight gain, increased sensitivity to cold, joint pain or stiffness, and muscle weakness.
If you have symptoms of hypothyroidism, the most effective way to control them is to take a hormone replacement. That typically involves daily use of a synthetic thyroid hormone called levothyroxine that you take as an oral medication. It is identical to thyroxine, the natural version of a hormone made by your thyroid gland. The medication restores your hormone levels to normal and eliminates hypothyroidism symptoms.
You may hear about products that contain a form of thyroid hormones derived from animals. They often are marketed as being natural. Because they are from animals, however, they aren’t natural to the human body, and they potentially can cause health problems. The American Thyroid Association’s hypothyroidism guidelines recommend against using these products as a first-line treatment for hypothyroidism.
Although hormone replacement therapy is effective at controlling symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, it is not a cure. You need to keep taking the medication to keep symptoms at bay. Treatment is usually lifelong. To make sure you get the right amount of hormone replacement for your body, you must have your hormone levels checked with a blood test once or twice a year.
If symptoms linger despite hormone replacement therapy, you may need to have the dose of medication you take each day adjusted. If symptoms persist despite evidence of adequate hormone replacement therapy, it’s possible those symptoms could be a result of something other than Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Talk to your health care provider about any bothersome symptoms you have while taking hormone replacement therapy.
Victor J. Bernet, MD, is Chair of the Endocrinology Division at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida and is an Associate Professor in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Dr. Bernet served 21+ years in the Army Medical Corps retiring as a Colonel. He served as Consultant in Endocrinology to the Army Surgeon General, Program Director for the National Capitol Consortium Endocrinology Fellowship and as an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. Dr. Bernet has received numerous military awards, was awarded the “A” Proficiency Designator for professional excellence by the Army Surgeon General and the Peter Forsham Award for Academic Excellence by the Tri-Service Endocrine Society. Dr. Bernet graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Dr. Bernet completed residency at Tripler Army Medical Center and his endocrinology fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dr. Bernet’s research interests include: improved diagnostics for thyroid cancer, thyroidectomy related hypocalcemia, thyroid hormone content within supplements as well as management of patient’s with thyroid cancer. He is the current Secretary and CEO of the American Thyroid Association.
In this episode Dr. Bernet describes that Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition that usually progresses slowly and often leads to low thyroid hormone levels — a condition called hypothyroidism. The best therapy for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is to normalize thyroid hormone levels with medication. A balanced diet and other healthy lifestyle choices may help when you have Hashimoto’s, but a specific diet alone is unlikely to reverse the changes caused by the disease.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis develops when your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks your thyroid. It’s not clear why this happens. Some research seems to indicate that a virus or bacterium might trigger the immune response. It’s possible that a genetic predisposition also may be involved in the development of this autoimmune disorder.
A chronic condition that develops over time, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis damages the thyroid and eventually can cause hypothyroidism. That means your thyroid no longer produces enough of the hormones it usually makes. If that happens, it can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, sluggishness, constipation, unexplained weight gain, increased sensitivity to cold, joint pain or stiffness, and muscle weakness.
If you have symptoms of hypothyroidism, the most effective way to control them is to take a hormone replacement. That typically involves daily use of a synthetic thyroid hormone called levothyroxine that you take as an oral medication. It is identical to thyroxine, the natural version of a hormone made by your thyroid gland. The medication restores your hormone levels to normal and eliminates hypothyroidism symptoms.
You may hear about products that contain a form of thyroid hormones derived from animals. They often are marketed as being natural. Because they are from animals, however, they aren’t natural to the human body, and they potentially can cause health problems. The American Thyroid Association’s hypothyroidism guidelines recommend against using these products as a first-line treatment for hypothyroidism.
Although hormone replacement therapy is effective at controlling symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, it is not a cure. You need to keep taking the medication to keep symptoms at bay. Treatment is usually lifelong. To make sure you get the right amount of hormone replacement for your body, you must have your hormone levels checked with a blood test once or twice a year.
If symptoms linger despite hormone replacement therapy, you may need to have the dose of medication you take each day adjusted. If symptoms persist despite evidence of adequate hormone replacement therapy, it’s possible those symptoms could be a result of something other than Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Talk to your health care provider about any bothersome symptoms you have while taking hormone replacement therapy.
Victor J. Bernet, MD, is Chair of the Endocrinology Division at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida and is an Associate Professor in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Dr. Bernet served 21+ years in the Army Medical Corps retiring as a Colonel. He served as Consultant in Endocrinology to the Army Surgeon General, Program Director for the National Capitol Consortium Endocrinology Fellowship and as an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. Dr. Bernet has received numerous military awards, was awarded the “A” Proficiency Designator for professional excellence by the Army Surgeon General and the Peter Forsham Award for Academic Excellence by the Tri-Service Endocrine Society. Dr. Bernet graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Dr. Bernet completed residency at Tripler Army Medical Center and his endocrinology fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dr. Bernet’s research interests include: improved diagnostics for thyroid cancer, thyroidectomy related hypocalcemia, thyroid hormone content within supplements as well as management of patient’s with thyroid cancer. He is the current Secretary and CEO of the American Thyroid Association.
This episode is a thorough presentation of Graves' Disease from Kimberly Dorris, an educator and expert, and also a patient. In this episode, listeners will gain a thorough understanding of a disease that is often confused with other diagnosis.
Kimberly Dorris is the Executive Director and CEO of the Graves' Disease and Thyroid Foundation, a small nonprofit organization based in Rancho Santa Fe, CA.
She began working with the GDATF as a volunteer in 2010, and took over day-to-day management of the Foundation in 2011.
En este episodio explora los siguientes temas:
Dr. Alejandro Ayala obtuvo su doctorado de la Universidad Federal Fluminense en Río de Janeiro, Brasil, en 1992, y completó su residencia en medicina interna en la Universidad Federal de Sao Paulo. Posteriormente se unió al Programa de Medicina Interna de la Universidad de Georgetown en el Centro Hospitalario de Washington, donde recibió el Premio Saul Zukerman, MD, Humanitarianism in Medicine. El Dr. Ayala obtuvo su formación clínica en Endocrinología en el Hospital Universitario Johns Hopkins, seguido de una beca de investigación en los Institutos Nacionales de Salud (NIH) en Bethesda, Maryland, donde continuó durante los siguientes cinco años como clínico del personal, investigador clínico y facultad de El programa de entrenamiento de endocrinología NIH.
Durante este tiempo, los intereses de investigación del Dr. Ayala están relacionados con los trastornos de la Neruendocrinología, la pituitaria y la adrenal. Sus intereses de investigación incluyen hiperaldosteronismo, síndrome de Cushing y feocromocitoma, áreas en las que ha sido autor de más de dos docenas de artículos revisados por pares y ha escrito varios capítulos de libros.
NOTAS:
In this interview, Dr. Hennessey describes the history, refinements, implementation, physiology, and clinical outcomes achieved over the past several centuries of thyroid hormone replacement strategies.
Topics discussed in this episode include:
A rich history of physician intervention in thyroid dysfunction was identified dating back more than 2 millennia. Although not precisely documented, thyroid ingestion from animal sources had been used for centuries but was finally scientifically described and documented in Europe over 130 years ago. Since the reports by Bettencourt and Murray, there has been a continuous documentation of outcomes, refinement of hormone preparation production, and updating of recommendations for the most effective and safe use of these hormones for relieving the symptoms of hypothyroidism. As the thyroid extract preparations contain both levothyroxine (LT4) and liothyronine (LT3), current guidelines do not endorse their use as controlled studies do not clearly document enhanced objective outcomes compared with LT4 monotherapy. Among current issues cited, the optimum ratio of LT4 to LT3 has yet to be determined, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not appear to be monitoring the thyroid hormone ratios or content in extract preparations on the market. Taken together, these limitations are important detriments to the use of thyroid extract products.
James V. Hennessey, MD is Director of Clinical Endocrinology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Harvard medical School. He completed medical training at the Medical Faculty of the Karl Franzens University in Graz Austria. He served as an Intern and Medical Resident at the New Britain Hospital in Connecticut. He entered active duty with the USAF Medical Corps as an Internist/Flight Surgeon after residency and later completed subspecialty training in endocrinology and metabolism at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC where he conducted research in thyroxine bioequivalence. Following fellowship Dr. Hennessey served as the Chief of Endocrinology at USAF Medical Center Wright-Patterson in Ohio and later joined the faculty at Wright State University School of Medicine as the Director of Clinical Clerkships.
Top 10 most prescribes drugs in the U.S. (monthly) - Monthly prescriptions, nearly 22 million