title: Endocrine status in 29 patients treated by curative radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: The basal endocrine status of 29 patients treated with curative radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma was assessed; they were disease-free for a minimum of 4 years from the end of treatment. None showed clinical evidence of endocrine disease, and most of them had a substantially normal hormonal blood pattern. A slightly elevated TSH value, suggesting subclinical primary hypothyroidism, was found only in two male patients, which could be ascribed to the radiotherapeutic treatment of the neck. Although we cannot exclude more subtle alterations of hypothalamic-pituitary function, the percentage incidence of endocrine impairment in our patients seems lower than previously reported by other authors.
authors.affiliation: University of Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zamboni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Olmi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cellai
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Forti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone