Thyrotropin in the development and management of differentiated thyroid cancer.

Thyrotropin (TSH) is the major regulator and growth factor of the thyroid. TSH may be important in the development of human thyroid cancer, with both suggestive animal models and clinical evidence, although definitive proof is still required. Applications for TSH in thyroid cancer management include TSH stimulation of radioiodine uptake, enhancement of biochemical monitoring through thyroglobulin measurement, and long-term suppression of TSH with supraphysiologic levothyroxine. This review synthesizes current knowledge of TSH in both the development and management of differentiated thyroid cancer.