Trabecular Bone Score in Women With Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Thyrotropin stimulating hormone (TSH) suppression in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) aims to decrease the growth and proliferation of thyroid cancer cells. However, the effect of TSH suppressive therapy on bone microarchitecture remains undefined. Methods: Cross-sectional study including 43 women with DTC undergoing TSH suppressive therapy (sTSH) compared to 20 women also on levothyroxine therapy but with TSH in the low-normal range (nTSH) since the thyroid surgery. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and trabecular bone score (TBS) was evaluated using the TBS iNsigth software. The relationship between suppressive therapy-related parameters and bone parameters was investigated. Results: The TBS mean values were not significantly different in the sTSH and nTSH groups (1.273 ± 0.12 vs 1.307 ± 0.14, p = 0.7197). In both groups, postmenopausal women had degraded microarchitecture (TBS 1.216 ± 0.11 vs 1.213 ± 0.09, p = 0.9333), while premenopausal women had normal microarchitecture (1.328 ± 0.11 vs 1.401 ± 0.12, p = 0.195). The percentage of all postmenopausal women with degraded TBS was 54.7%, while the percentage of osteoporosis diagnoses was 16.1%. Body mass index (BMI) and menopausal status were the only variables associated with TBS and BMD. Conclusion: Long-term TSH suppressive therapy does not seem to be associated with deterioration of the trabecular microarchitecture in premenopausal women. However, lower TBS values were observed in postmenopausal women of both groups, even in those with nonsuppressive therapy. These data show that treatment with thyroid hormone in DTC can be detrimental to bone quality in postmenopausal women, regardless of whether TSH levels are maintained chronically suppressed or in the low-normal range.