Abstract

CONTEXT
Risk factors for thyroid cancer (TC) in males are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between history of benign thyroid and endocrine disorders and risk of TC among 4.5 million male veterans admitted to U.S. Veterans Affairs hospitals between July 1, 1969, and September 30, 1996.
DESIGN
We conducted a retrospective cohort study based on hospital discharge records with 1053 cases of TC.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
We estimated relative risks (RR) and computed 95% confidence intervals (CI) for TC using time-dependent Poisson regression models. To evaluate potential ascertainment bias and/or delayed diagnosis of TC, we also analyzed RR by time between diagnosis of benign disorder and TC (<5 or ≥ 5 yr).
RESULTS
RR for TC were significantly elevated with many disorders and were often higher less than 5 yr compared with 5 yr or more before TC diagnosis. RR (95% CI) less than 5 yr/at least 5 yr were 67.9 (42.4-108.8)/28.9 (9.2-90.2) for thyroid adenoma, 77.8 (64.5-93.1)/25.9 (17.9-38.0) for nontoxic nodular goiter, 23.9 (13.8-41.3)/12.9 (4.8-34.4) for thyroiditis, 8.8 (6.9-11.3)/6.0 (3.8-9.6) for hypothyroidism, 6.4 (4.4-9.4)/ 2.0 (0.8-4.8) for thyrotoxicosis, and 1.2 (1.0-1.4)/1.1 (0.9-1.5) for diabetes. For some disorders, RR also significantly varied by attained age and race with younger patients and Blacks having higher RR than older patients and Whites.
CONCLUSIONS
We found strong associations for a history of thyroid adenoma, nodular goiter, thyroiditis, or hypothyroidism with TC in males allowing for increased surveillance/delayed diagnosis and evidence that some of these associations are modified by age and race.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Balasubramaniam S, Ron E, Gridley G, Schneider AB, Brenner AV

Institution

Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program and Medical Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland 20902, USA. balas@nih.gov

Source

The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 97:8 2012 Aug pg 2661-9

MeSH

Cohort Studies
Endocrine System Diseases
Goiter, Nodular
Humans
Hypothyroidism
Male
Middle Aged
Poisson Distribution
Retrospective Studies
Risk
Thyroid Diseases
Thyroid Neoplasms
Thyroiditis
Veterans

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22569239