Pituitary-thyroid function in patients with breast cancer.

The present studies were carried out to clarify the relationship between thyroid function and breast diseases. Neither the mean value of radioiodine uptake rate nor thyroxin (T4) level was significantly different in the patients with benign breast diseases and those with breast cancer or in localized and metastasized cancer groups. As these results were obtained by conventional studies, it became necessary to investigate the dynamic changes of pituitary and thyroid hormones after thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation. There were no significant differences in serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), prolactin, tri-iodothyronine (T3) or T4 level before and after TRH stimulation among the benign disease, localized and metastasized cancer groups.