Intentionally induced Hypothyroxinemia may extend survival

[Olga]

Medically Induced Euthyroid Hypothyroxinemia May Extend Survival in Compassionate Need Cancer Patients: An Observational Study.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25410096
We have noticed before that in few our patients when TKI treatment was successful it also caused a hypothyroid condition. The authors of this article investigated if inducing the
Hypothyroxinemia - low levels of circulating free thyroxine and normal levels of thyrotropin, which is usually caused by iodine deficiency - could by itself be beneficial for the terminally ill patients and increase their survival. They found that the survival of their group was far better than the historical (expected). It is hard to say if that was just a coincidence or a consequence of the better palliative care their patients received while under the study, but nevertheless the study is really intriguing.
What they did:
Hypothyroxinemia was achieved in euthyroid patients by using methimazole, with the addition of 3,3',5-triiodo-l-thyronine (l-T3) to prevent hypothyroidism and suppress endogenous thyrotropin (TSH). In patients with pre-existent primary hypothyroidism, T3 administration was substituted for T4 replacement. Serum FT4 and TSH concentrations were serially monitored to enable adjustments to drug therapy and prevent clinical hypothyroidism. Survival was measured from the date of hypothyroxinemia induction with T3 or methimazole plus T3.
As I understand, they induces a sub-clinical (mild) hypothyroidism.