Relationship between papillary thyroid cancer and Hashimoto’s disease

Abstract

Thyroid cancer is the most frequent type of endocrine system cancers. Papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) which have favourable prognosis and account for 80% of thyroid cancer. Hashimoto thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothroidism in the world. Previous studies demonstrated that chronic inflammation might lead to development of cancer. This paper aimed to determine possible relationship between PTC and Hashimoto’s thyroditis. Pathology archives of the patients who had been followed up with the diagnosis of thyroid papillary tumors by clinics of endocrinology, and family medicine, and undergone thyroidectomy between January 2008 and March 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients under 18 years of age were not included in the study the incidence of Hashimoto thyroiditis which accompanied papillary thyroid cancer was retrospectively investigated. PTC and healthy control groups with their pathologic and laboratory data were included in the study. A total of 87 PTC and 87 healthy subjects were enrolled. Of all participants, mean age was 47±15 years and male to female ratio was approximately 1:8. in both groups. Family histories regarding thyroid carcinomas, nonthyroidal malignancies, Hashimoto thyroiditis and systematic autoimmune disease revealed similar incidence rates in both groups (p>0.05, for all). Although PTC patients had higher TSH and fT3 median values, while fT4, anti-TPO, anti-Tg values were similar. Finally, association between PTC and Hashimoto thyroiditis was analyzed, and frequency of Hashimoto thyroiditis in PTC patients, and the control group was comparable. The distribution of Hashimoto thyroiditis in patients with PTC was similar to those of the control group. © 2016, Logos Medical Publishing. All rights reserved.