Two Cases of Thyroid Tumor after Radiation Therapy of Primary Malignancy / 대한소아내분비학회지

ABSTRACT

The thyroid gland is highly sensitive to the carcinogenic effects of ionizing radiation. The development of benign thyroid nodules, thyroid carcinoma and thyroid dysfunction following radiotherapy during childhood has been documented. Recently we experienced two cases of thyroid tumor after irradiation. One is a 14-year-old boy with thyroid follicular carcinoma who had received mantle irradiation(3,000cGy) eight years previously for Hodgkin' disease. The other is a 15-year- old boy with thyroid follicular adenoma who had received craniospinal irradiation (3,600cGy) seven years previously for CNS relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. We recommend frequent sonographic evaluation and early suppression of thyroid stimulation in an attempt to arrest the development of neoplastic changes in long term survivors of childhood malignancies who received radiation therapy.