Friends of the ATA
Welcome to Clinical Thyroidology for Patients, bringing to you, the patient, the most up-to-date, cutting edge thyroid research. What you read here as research studies will likely become the accepted practice in the future. Clinical Thyroidology for Patients is published on a monthly basis and includes summaries of research studies that were discussed in a recent issue of Clinical Thyroidology, a publication of the American Thyroid Association for physicians. This means that you, the patients, are getting the latest information on thyroid research and treatment almost as soon as your physicians.

We will be providing even faster updates of late-breaking thyroid news through Twitter at @thyroidfriends and on Facebook. Our goal is to provide you with the tools to be the most informed thyroid patient in the waiting room. Also check out our friends in the ATA Alliance for Thyroid Patient Education. The Alliance member groups consist of: the American Thyroid Association, the Graves' Disease and Thyroid Foundation, the Light of Life Foundation, ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors Association, Thyroid Cancer Canada and Thyroid Federation International.

Clinical Thyroidology for Patients
Up-to-date information to help you understand thyroid disease through the latest research.

In this issue, the studies ask the following questions:

• Is there any difference between Levothyroxine and desiccated thyroid extract in the treatment of hypothyroidism?
• Are IVF pregnancy outcomes any different in hypothyroid women?
• How common is severe orbitopathy in patients with Graves' disease?
• Do stimulated thyroglobulin levels predict the risk for thyroid cancer recurrence?
• What is the risk of cancer recurrence in patients with thyroid cancer?

We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Let us know what you want to see in this publication. I hope you find these summaries interesting and informative.

— Alan P. Farwell, MD

HYPOTHYROIDISM Desiccated thyroid extract vs Levothyroxine in the treatment of hypothyroidism THYROID AND PREGNANCY IVF pregnancy outcomes in women with treated hypothyroidism and women without thyroid disease HYPERTHYROIDISM Severe sight-threatening orbitopathy is a very rare event in the natural history of Graves' disease

THYROID CANCER Stimulated thyroglobulin levels obtained after thyroidectomy are a good indicator for risk of future recurrence from thyroid cancer THYROID CANCER Only a few thyroid cancer patients have a cancer recurrence within 8 years of initial therapy

The goal of our Alliance is to provide accurate and reliable information for patients about the diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of thyroid diseases.

We look forward to future collaborations and continuing to work together towards the improvement of thyroid education and resources for patients.

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