Changing trends in thyroid cancer: From 1995 to 2006
Özer Makay, Tayfun Yoldaş, Gökhan İçöz, Mahir Akyıldız, Enis Yetkin
Ege Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Hastanesi, Genel Cerrahi AD, İZMİR
Abstract
Purpose: In this study, we aimed to investigate the changing pattern in thyroid cancer histology and cancer stage.
Materials and Methods: A total of 321 thyroid cancer patients who admitted to our institute between December 1995 and December 2005 were retrospectively analyzed in 2 different time intervals (Period I = 174 patients, December 1995 - December 2001 and Period II = 147 patients, January 2002 - December 2005).
Results: The incidence of cancer increased significantly between both groups (11.6% vs. 20.7% and p<0.05). Papillary cancer incidence increased from 73.8% to 84.6% (p>0.05), while follicular cancer decreased from 16% to 2.7% (p<0.05). Nevertheless, according to DeGroot's prognostic index, rate of patients in Class 1 and 2 increased (p>0.05), while it decreased in Class 3 (p<0.05).
Conclusion: This study reveals a change in thyroid cancer. Whether iodine substitution has a major impact on it has to be studied by determining the sufficiency of iodine prophylaxis and measuring urine iodine excretion of the population.
Keywords: thyroid cancer, iodine prophylaxis, cancer stage