Levothyroxine (TSH Suppression Therapy)
Treatment for Thyroid Cancer
Typical Dosage: 75-200 mcg daily
Effectiveness
88%
Safety Score
65%
Clinical Trials
6
Participants
500K
Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)
Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
65
DangerousModerateSafe
Treatment Details
Dosage Range
75-200 mcg daily
Time to Effect
2-4 weeks to achieve stable TSH
Treatment Duration
Lifetime
Evidence Quality
HIGHNumber Needed to Treat (NNT)
7(Treat 7 patients to see 1 additional successful outcome)
Number Needed to Harm (NNH)
15(Treat 15 patients to see 1 additional serious adverse event)
Confidence Score
98%confidence in effectiveness data
Health Economics
Annual Cost of Care
Drug Cost:$30
Monitoring:$300
Side Effect Mgmt:$50
Total Annual:$380
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Cost-Effectiveness Rating
EXCELLENTICER
$15,000/QALY
QALYs Gained
3
Comparison vs No TSH suppression/Placebo
Cost Difference
+$30/year
More expensive
QALY Difference
+0.70 QALYs
Better outcomes
Dominance
No dominance
Levothyroxine (TSH Suppression Therapy) Outcomes
for Thyroid Cancer
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+88%
Response Rate
+99%
Remission Rate
+90%
Common Side Effects
Palpitations/Tachycardia (from over-suppression)
+7%
Anxiety/Insomnia (from over-suppression)
+6%
Weight loss (from over-suppression)
+5%
Osteoporosis (long-term, high doses)
+3%
Sources:
Active Clinical Trials
4 active trials recruiting for Levothyroxine (TSH Suppression Therapy) in Thyroid Cancer
Necessity of TSH Suppression Therapy in Active Surveillance for Thyroid Cancer Patients.
NCT06971965NOT YET RECRUITINGNA
578 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Started: Jun 2, 2025
Desiccated Thyroid Extract Combined With Levothyroxine for TSH Suppression Therapy in DTC
NCT07239674NOT YET RECRUITINGPHASE3
646 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Started: Nov 30, 2025
TSH Suppression During Radiotherapy on Thyroid Site to Prevent Iatrogenic Hypothyroidism in Pediatric Cancer Patients
NCT05316922RECRUITINGPHASE3
68 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Milan, Italy
Started: Dec 13, 2021
COACH - Comparing Two Different Methods to Suppress Thyrotropin in Patients With Advanced Thyroid Cancer
NCT06790589NOT YET RECRUITINGPHASE2
70 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Started: Dec 1, 2025
Completed Clinical Trials
1 completed trial for Levothyroxine (TSH Suppression Therapy) in Thyroid Cancer
Thyrotropin Over-suppression and Heart
NCT02645786COMPLETED
31 participants
OBSERVATIONAL
Started: Sep 1, 2009