Thyroid Cancer and Nodules in Graves’ Disease: A Single Center Experience
- 1 November 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Bentham Science Publishers Ltd. in Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets
- Vol. 21 (11), 2028-2034
- https://doi.org/10.2174/1871530321666201230111911
Abstract
Background: The existence of a link between Graves’ Disease (GD) and Thyroid Cancer (TC) has long been investigated, however a clear pathogenic correlation has still to be found. Methods: In this study we analyzed retrospectively a cohort of 151 patients treated at our Clinic with total thyroidectomy between 2013 and 2018. All patients were symptomatic at the time of surgery, preoperatively ultrasonographic (US) study was performed to evaluate the presence of nodules and their distribution. All patients reached euthyroid state before surgery. Objective: We verified the presence of TC in patients submitted to surgery for GD, both with and without thyroid nodules (TN). Results: Nodules were detected in 53% of cases, above 60 y.o. at least one nodule was found, younger patients more frequently were nodules free. Bilateral diffusion of nodules appeared with increasing age. Cancer was found in 19 of 151 subjects (12.5%), all were papillary carcinomas, among them 93% were microcarcinomas. Among cancer-proven patients, 14 had thyroid nodules while 5 where nodule-free. During the follow up period no cancer recurrence was recorded. The most common complication after surgery was transient hypocalcemia (36%). Conclusions: Graves’ patients are burdened by major incidence of TC in the context of their TN. Pre-operative assessment in GD patients should consider the risk of cancer, US scan can help in rapid evaluation of nodules and new rising frontiers in molecular biomarkers analysis may help defining pathogenic basis of Graves’ neoplastic development.Keywords
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