[Principles and modalities of hormonal treatment in therapeutic management of differentiated thyroid cancers]

Since TSH favors thyroid cells growth and proliferation, thyroid hormone administration is widely used to reduce TSH secretion in patients treated for thyroid cancers. But what degree of TSH suppression is required to inhibit tumorgenesis and prevent recurrences remains unknown. High doses of thyroid hormone can determine undesirable effects on quality of life, bone mass, or cardiac function. These effects have to be evaluated and eventually prevented by specific therapies. Probably the degree of TSH suppression has to be adjusted to the prognosis of the thyroid cancer and the specific risks for every patient.