Does Hyperthyroid Diagnosis Equal Higher Breast Cancer Risk?

suzieq

Interesting article published on Endocrine Website regarding research from around the world.  I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism decades ago so found this article interesting.  I was diagnosed with stage2/grade 2 hormone dependent breast cancer five years ago with no prior family history and didn't fit any risk models other than being a woman.  What I found interesting about the studies were:  while an overactive thyroid may increase risk of breast cancer (and lung cancer) it can also increase survival. Armed with this information I will be more diligent keeping my thyroid "euthyroid" (functioning normally).

https//www.endocrineweb.com/news/thyroid-diseases/55406-does-hyperthyroid-diagnosis-equal-higher-breast-cancer-risk?utm_source=EndocrineWeb+eNewsletter&utm_campaign=50cfaac4d8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_09_26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e6f563893f-50cfaac4d8-49476613

melclarity

@suzieq

I hadnt heard of that, it is interesting! I also think too that none of US fit into the 'risk factors' at all. There are no common denominators, so it's frustrating when we keep hearing it over and over of how to reduce your risk. I think it's outdated and they need to go back and revisit the whole thing, give helpful things instead lol. Melinda xo

wendy55

Hi, like you I have had thyroid problems since I was diagnosed at 21, I do have a strong family history of it and when I was tested for the Braca gene this was looked into as well however all data came back inconclusive,at present I am on 75mg of Thyroxine and 20mg of Tertroxin one day and then 10mg of tertroxin the next, I am drug sensitive so being on various kinds of chemo has meant very regular thyroid tests and several times my tertroxin medication had to be tweaked, I have read here of several ladies who also have thyroid problems and then subsequently gotten breast cancer, so these findings are very interesting, I know that if after a period of a few weeks of feeling unwell its time for another thyroid blood test,I also had a very severe bout of glandualr fever at 14 and then had 4 years of chronic fatigue from 2009 until four months before my breast cancer diagnosis in 2013, all of this time I was under a endocrinologist, STRESS I believe was the biggest contributing factor, years and years of continual stress and not looking after myself but looking after everyone else, so now that has all changed and with lifestyle changes I am in a better place that I have every been,thanks for the article I will show it to my oncologist and see what he thinks, my endocrinologist has recently retired and I have yet to find another one, so my oncologist receives all of my thyroid blood level readings, I believe that stress is responsible for so many things and it has taken a stage 4 metastatic breast cancer diagnosis to finally make me realize this, I might add that I had a diagnosis of early Ovarian Cancer when I was 29 but the genetic people believed that it had no bearing on my subsequent breast cancer, purely bad luck!!! 

iserbrown

@wendy55 what an open honest revealing discussion.  Stress I firmly believed was a major contributor to my BC diagnosis.  I too have thyroid troubles however have been told they are unrelated, but I am not so sure! 

melclarity

I have to totally agree with that @wendy55 I think if anything Stress is something that most share commonly and is a contributor. xx I find this thread incredibly interesting, thanks for sharing everyone! 

nonkyboy

I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer following a total thyroidectomy in 1997. Unlike a lot of cancers you are never told you are cancer free and my thyroid levels have been kept at a suppressed level for the past 20 years to stop the cancer growing back( this keeps my body in a hyper state but acts like it's in hypo). All very complicated.  I still have annual tests to check it including ultrasounds, whole body scans and 2 - 3 monthly blood tests. I've never absorbed medication well so my levels fluctuate quite a bit. It's always been a bit of a nightmare and a headache for all concerned over the years. My thyroid specialist told me years ago that I was at a higher risk of getting other cancers but specifically breast cancer in the future as I had thyroid cancer. Now, I don't know if my cancer is because of that risk or purely bad luck as it's now 20 years since my thyroid cancer diagnosis. I haven't had the gene testing as yet however no one in my family has ever had breast cancer that I'm aware of. Lots of other cancers, but not breast. Xx Lesley 

Jane221

 I'm totally on board with @wendy55 about chronic stress (and the body's inability to cope with a constant overload of cortisol) as a major contributing factor for my diagnosis (although I also have some thyroid issues that are monitored by my oncologist regularly).

I am seeing a psychologist at the moment to try and help manage my stress and anxiety levels as there have been a number of things happen over the past 6 months that have / are really testing my ability to cope. Hopefully the strategies he's suggesting will help before any further damage is done

iserbrown

suzieq

Wow, this has started a discussion.  Stress and the thyroid are not good bedfellows. @wendy55 We seem similar.  Great to know someone else is taking T3 (tertroxin) in combination with Oroxin (T4).  I take 75mcg Oroxin and 10mcg of T3 in the slow release form which is only available through compounding chemists.  More expensive but definitely worth it for the benefits.  It changed my life adding T3 to T4.  I started out with Graves Disease, (hyperthyroidism) diagnosed at age 38 after going through horrendous emotional stress.  Treated with a tiny amount of radioactive iodine to attempt to kill off only a small amount of my thyroid to get back to the euthyroid state but it failed and I ended up with hypothyroidism instead. While only on T4 I still had all the symptoms of hypothyroidism (depression, fatigue, weight issues, mood changes etc) even though blood tests all in normal range.  Most doctors would have said nothing wrong with my thyroid and put me on anti-depressants but I have a great GP who looked further and tested Reverse T3.  Results showed my level was off the chart.  She explained even though I was converting T4 to T3 I wasn't getting the benefit of T3 at cellular level. Reverse T3 lands upside down on cells blocking T3 from getting in.  High levels of Reverse T3 result from extreme stress. I am gradually getting my RT3 levels down to within normal range.  I am now full of energy, depression is a just a memory, weight coming down and life is now wonderful  My glass is half full again instead of half empty.  The studies I posted about are very interesting.   I feel great these days.  This article just bought home to me how important keeping your thyroid is and keeping it running well.

iserbrown

I take Oroxine 100 micrograms daily-  I have always been a glass half full person however fatigue has been and still is my biggest issue along with itchy dry skin and weight issues!  My maternal grandmother died as a result of thyroid cancer.  I have my blood tests regular to check.  Recently it was sky high however I did have a cold infection which on the next blood tests suggested it was the infection only giving an altered reading!  It drives me nutty! 

suzieq

Your best thyroid test results reflect how you are feeling.  Tests should be done at the same time, best time is usually first thing in the morning BEFORE you take your medication.  If you are not feeling optiumum then have a good talk to your doctor.  I am very lucky to have a GP who "gets it".  I was previously on 100mcg and feeling much like you.  After testing for Reverse T3 she reduced to Oroxin (T4) to 75mcg and added slow release liothyronine (T3). (T4 Oroxin is inert in our system - it's only job is to convert to T3 which every cell in our body needs.  I take liothyronine in the slow release form as Reverse T3 was blocking T3 from getting into my cells.  Slow release T3 (liothyronine) is only available through compounding chemists via script from your doctor. @wendy55 adds T3 via Tertroxin which is just a brand name for liiothyronine but is not slow release and she feels fine.  Good grief, others reading this must be very confused. hahhaha

wendy55

Glad to hear this has started a conversation, it is essential for anyone who feels they may have a thyroid problem to request to see a specialist, your levels only have to be out a little for you to feel uncomfortable, fortunately I too had a great Dr,who listened to me, it was only by going to a Dr when I was 21 and saying to them I feel like a hypochondriac but these are my symptoms one blood test later and it was revealed about my thyroid being over at that stage, I have had surgery to remove 3/4 of my thyroid gland, which worked well for many years, but however chronic stress again worked its magic and I had to have radio active iodine to totally remove what was left and then a lifetime of being on medication, its a condition that does tend to effect more women than men, and it is something that unless you have a good gp who listens, can go undiagnosed for a long time, so again, its a matter of listening to our bodies and if something does not feel right go to you GP and if they wont do anything about it, change, sometimes just asking for the blood test can help but then you need a doctor who can interpret the results correctly, also one thing it was a while before a doctor told me that thyroid medication needs to be taken on a empty stomach, so for several years I was taking my medication incorrectly, just a simple thing but made a huge difference,  

iserbrown

Oh yeah!  Must be on an empty stomach, half hour before food

suzieq

@Wendy58 Hi Wendy, what prompted your doctor to add T3?

primek

It's hyperthyroid...as in overactive thyroid that has a higher risk. Under active thyroid  (hypothyroid) which requires thyroxine to stabilise...has a decreased risk.

I have Graves disease ...hyperthyroid and it had re-emerged and on full throttle at time of diagnosis.

I have read the studies and thought interesting, my breast surgeon is also and endocrine surgeon mentioned nothing about it. My endocrinologist who has been treating me very closely during my cancer treatment also has mentioned nothing about it.

But well...I had a bilateral mastectomy so guess nothing more to be done anyway. But interesting isn't it? I had dense breasts and hyperthyroidism, so possibly 2 higher risk factors.

However. ..nothing changes the current treatment. Just maybe a conversation about new primary risks should be discussed with your treating team. 

suzieq

@primek I also read in the reports hyperthyroidism indicates better survival odds.  So, on the one hand great chances of getting breast cancer.  On the other hand better survival odds.  I believe dense breasts are also associated with hyperthyroidism.  Yes, this is very interesting.