Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Pivot Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Target Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Query: UMLS:C0043352 (
xerostomia
)
4,250
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
Thyroid cancer
is an endocrine malignancy whose prevalence is increasing in the United States. Nearly 57,000 new cases of thyroid cancer are estimated to be diagnosed in 2017. The standard of care for differentiated thyroid cancer is thyroidectomy followed by ablation of thyroid remnants with high-dose radioactive iodine (
131
I). Apart from thyroid glands,
131
I accumulates in cells of salivary glands and compromises its function.
Xerostomia
is, therefore, a frequent and often persistent complaint of patients. Despite adoption of standard preventive measures, parenchymal damage and chronic salivary dysfunction are observed in a substantial number of patients. Saliva is important for oral homeostasis, and its reduction increases the risk of oral morbidity. As differentiated thyroid cancer patients have an excellent survival rate, preservation of salivary gland function carries added significance. A focus on treatments that preserve or restore long-term salivary flow can significantly improve the quality of life of thyroid cancer survivors.
...
PMID:Radioactive iodine: An unappreciated threat to salivary gland function. 2948 Jun 11
