FREQUENCY OF RADIATION-INDUCED HYPOTHYROIDISM IN HODGKIN LYMPHOMA

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to calculate the rate of radiation-induced hypothyroidism (RIHT) and its connection with various patient and treatment factors in the case of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients undergoing radiotherapy.

Study Design: Case series study.

Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Medicine, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, from May 2025 till 15 July 2025.

Methodology: Continuous non-probability sampling was utilized to enroll one hundred HL patients of both sexes and up to 45 years who were receiving external beam radiotherapy. Demographic and treatment variables like age, duration of the disease, radiation dose, and treatment duration were recorded. Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were measured three months after the radiotherapy. The data were then analyzed using SPSS version 27; the chi-square test was done for evaluators, with p<0.05 set as significant.

Results: Out of 100 patients (57% males, 43% females; mean age 32.25 ± 8.27 years), RIHT was present in 70 (70%) cases. There were significantly older hypothyroid patients (33.33 ± 8.05 vs 29.73 ± 8.36 years; p=0.050), longer disease duration (22.41 ± 9.67 vs 17.50 ± 10.64 months; p=0.034), higher radiation dose (36.84 ± 7.11 vs 32.23 ± 7.67 Gy; p=0.005), and longer treatment duration (40.04 ± 13.19 vs 30.03 ± 11.08 days; p=0.001). Gender and stage of disease showed no significant association with RIHT.

Conclusion: Radiation therapy caused hypothyroidism due to radiation in 70% of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. Its occurrence was notably greater in patients above the age of 30 years with long disease duration, high radiation doses, and prolonged treatment periods.