You'll be given hormone therapy after having other treatment for thyroid cancer (surgery and radioactive iodine treatment).
how does it work?
When your thyroid gland’s been removed, your body can’t make thyroid hormones anymore. Without these hormones, you might feel tired and slow, and find it hard to concentrate. You might also notice your skin and hair get dry and that you put on weight easily.
Thyroid hormones can be replaced by taking tablets - this is called hormone therapy. You’ll need to take these tablets for the rest of your life. The usual long-term hormone treatment is thyroxine (levothyroxine). You’ll usually start taking this after radioactive iodine treatment.
Taking thyroxine also helps to stop papillary or follicular thyroid cancer coming back. The tablets stop your body from making a hormone called TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). TSH can encourage these types of thyroid cancer to grow.
It’s important to remember to take your tablets every day. Taking them at the same time every day can help you get into a routine. You could put a reminder in your phone so you don’t forget.
blood tests
You’ll have your blood checked regularly. Your doctors use these tests to make sure the cancer is gone. They will also take blood tests to keep a check on your thyroid hormone levels. The dose of thyroxine you take might need to be changed depending on these test results. It may take a few months to find the right dose of thyroxine for you.
