According to the National Cancer Registry statistics of the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Central Cancer Registry in Korea in 2015, the most common types of cancer among men and women was stomach cancer, followed by colon cancer, thyroid cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer, and prostate cancer. Thyroid cancer, the number one type of cancer since 2009, dropped to third place among men but still remains in first place among women in 2015. Current medical treatments for hypothyroidism, a daily dose of LT4, 50~75 μg is sufficient to normalize thyroid stimulating hormone levels; however, if there is a history of cardiovascular disease, it is advisable to start with an initial dose of 25-50 μg. The drug therapy for Graves' disease is the antithyroid drugs thionamide (methimazole, MMZ; carbimazole, CMZ) and propylthiouracil (PTU). The typical starting dose of thiamazole (MMI) is 10~20 mg daily and the starting dose of PTU is 100~200 mg twice daily. However, a patient can be started on a higher dose depending on the degree of hyperactivity. The response to treatment can be observed by checking free T4 levels and the dose is adjusted by evaluating thyroid hormone levels every 4-6 weeks at the beginning of treatment. The maintenance dose is 5~10 mg of MMI, and after reaching a stable maintenance dose, the thyroid function is evaluated every 2-3 months. Nutrients for thyroid hormone production, such as iodine, tyrosine, selenium, and zinc play a key role in treatment. Therefore, it is very important to manage nutrient-containing foods for patient counseling. The pharmacist should educate patients about the importance of non-pharmacologic therapy along with pharmacological treatment to manage their thyroid function effectively.

Keywords: Thyroid, Hyperthyroidism, Hypothyroidism, Nutrition, Cancer, Pharmacotherapy