Table 2

Endocrine complications and therapy-related risk factors

System Complication Therapy-related risks
Linear growth Skeletal dysplasia Radiotherapy to the spine. Younger the age and higher the dose, greater the risk
GH deficiency Surgery
Cranial radiotherapy
Puberty Precocious puberty Cranial radiotherapy
Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism Cranial radiotherapy
Testes Leydig cell dysfunction Alkylating agents
Radiotherapy to the testes
Germ cell dysfunction Alkylating agents
Radiotherapy to the testes
Ovaries Acute ovarian failure Alkylating agents
Radiotherapy to the ovaries
Premature menopause Alkylating agents
Radiotherapy to the ovaries
Adrenals ACTH deficiency Direct insult (surgery, tumoral expansion)
Cranial radiotherapy
Glucocorticoids (transient)
Thyroid TSH deficiency Cranial radiotherapy
Primary hypothyroidism Radiotherapy (local or scatter)
TBI
131I-MIBG and 131I-labeled monoclonal antibody
Cranial radiotherapy
Primary hyperthyroidism Radiotherapy (local or scatter)
Autoimmune disease HSCT
Neoplasms Radiotherapy (local or scatter)
Bone Osteoporosis Methotrexate
Glucocorticoids
Metabolism Obesity Cranial radiotherapy
Glucocorticoids
Surgery
Diabetes mellitus Alkylating agents
TBI and abdominal irradiation
  • 131I-MIBG, iodine-131-metaiodobenzylguanidine; HSCT, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

This Article

  1. Endocr Relat Cancer vol. 17 no. 3 R141-R159