The effect of radioactive iodine therapy on anti-Müllerian hormone changes in women with thyroid cancer at reproductive age: a prospective study

Abstract

BackgroundThyroid cancer is one of the common cancers that, depending on the need for treatment, patients are treated with radioactive iodine after thyroidectomy surgery. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of iodine therapy on the ovarian reserve of women at reproductive ages.MethodsIn this prospective study, 60 patients with thyroid cancer aged 18 to 35 who were undergoing iodine therapy for the first time in 2018–2019 were included in the study. Patients with underlying diseases and any ovarian disorders and patients who needed repeated iodine treatment were excluded from the study. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level of patients was evaluated 4 times before, 3, 6, and 12 months after iodine therapy. The significance level of the P-value study was considered less than 0.05.ResultsThe average age of the patients was 29.53 ± 4.53 years. With aging, AMH level decreases significantly. No significant correlation was observed between smoking, menarche age, and abnormal uterine bleeding with AMH level. The average AMH before, 3, 6, and 12 months after iodine therapy was 2.25 ± 0.55 ng/ml, 1.15 ± 0.35 ng/ml, 1.58 ± 0.47 ng/ml, and 1.94 ± 0.58 ng/ml, which has a significant decrease respectively 49.05%, 29.55%, and 13.58% compared to the amount before iodine therapy (P-value < 0.001).ConclusionConsidering the effect of iodine therapy on the reduction of AMH levels, it is recommended that women of reproductive age group should be evaluated prior to iodine therapy to determine their ovarian reserve level so that if their AMH level is not suitable, they may need to consult with a fertility preservation specialist.