Breast and Thyroid Cancer Risk
Author Information
Author(s): E. Ron, R. Curtis, D.A. Hoffman, J.T. Flannery
Primary Institution: Chaim Sheba Medical Center
Hypothesis
Is there an increased risk of developing breast cancer after thyroid cancer and vice versa?
Conclusion
The study found a significantly elevated risk of thyroid cancer following breast cancer and breast cancer following thyroid cancer, especially in women under 40 years of age.
Supporting Evidence
- A significantly elevated risk of thyroid cancer following breast cancer was observed (SIR=1.68).
- A significantly elevated risk of breast cancer following thyroid cancer was observed (SIR=1.89).
- The highest risk of developing breast cancer was found among patients with follicular or mixed papillary-follicular thyroid cancer.
- Women under age 40 with follicular carcinoma had a 10-fold risk of developing breast cancer.
- An enhanced risk of second primary tumors was evident for the entire period after treatment of the first primary.
Takeaway
Women who have had thyroid cancer are more likely to get breast cancer, and women who have had breast cancer are more likely to get thyroid cancer, especially if they are younger than 40.
Methodology
Data from the Connecticut Tumor Registry was analyzed for women diagnosed with primary thyroid and breast cancer between 1935 and 1978.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to incomplete treatment data and reliance on registry records.
Limitations
The study only included treatment data for the first 4 months post-diagnosis, and some treatment types were not consistently recorded.
Participant Demographics
The study included 1487 women with primary thyroid cancer and 36,542 women with primary breast cancer.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
1.51-14.22
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
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