Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Detection of Asymptomatic Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma by Neck Ultrasonographic Screening for Familial Nonmedullary Thyroid Carcinoma

  • Published:
World Journal of Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mass screening for the purpose of detecting thyroid cancer at its earliest stage may not be recommended at the present time, but screening focused on certain risk groups is advocated. Familial nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma (FNMTC) is a distinct clinical entity with a high incidence of multifocality and association with multiple benign nodules. FNMTC patients have shorter disease-free survival than do sporadic disease patients because of frequent locoregional recurrence. Screening by neck ultrasonography was performed for symptom-free family members of patients with FNMTC. A total of 149 subjects representing 53 FNMTC families were examined in this study. The average age of the patients was 41.0 ± 19.0 years (range 3–76 years) with a female/male ratio of 104:45. At least one thyroid nodule was found in 77 (51.7%) of the 149 patients. Surgery was performed in 18 patients, and thyroid cancer was discovered in 15 of them (10.1%; 14 women, 1 man; 32–61 years of age). Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) was found in 14 and follicular thyroid cancer combined with PTC in 1. The tumors averaged 9.1 ± 5.4 mm (3–21 mm) in greatest diameter. Intraglandular metastases were found in 7 (47%) of the 15 patients with thyroid cancer. Lymph node metastases were found in 6 (43%). Ultrasonographic screening for FNMTC family members may enable the discovery of asymptomatic thyroid cancer. Because of the high incidence of intraglandular and lymph node metastases, we recommend screening with ultrasonography for early detection in family members of patients with FNMTC.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. DW Robinson TG Orr (1955) ArticleTitleCarcinoma of the thyroid and other diseases of the thyroid in identical twins A.M.A. Arch. Surg. 70 923–928 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:CyqD2sjisFA%3D

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. J Nemec J Soumar V Zamrazil et al. (1975) ArticleTitleFamilial occurrence of differentiated (non-medullary) thyroid cancer Oncology 32 151–157 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:CSmC2M%2FnsVc%3D Occurrence Handle1241121

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. KC Loh (1997) ArticleTitleFamilial nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma: a meta-review of case series Thyroid 7 107–113 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByiB2c7itVM%3D Occurrence Handle9086578

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. TJ Musholt PB Musholt T Petrich et al. (2000) ArticleTitleFamilial papillary thyroid carcinoma: genetics, criteria for diagnosis, clinical features, and surgical treatment World J. Surg. 24 1409–1417 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s002680010233 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3M%2FlslKnsw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11038215

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. ER Johnson DM Gardner (1981) ArticleTitleFamilial occurrence of nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma: experience at the University of Missouri Health Sciences Center Mo. Med. 78 647–649 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:Bi2C2cfht1I%3D Occurrence Handle7335055

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. SS Stoffer DL Dyke ParticleVan JV Bach et al. (1986) ArticleTitleFamilial papillary carcinoma of the thyroid Am. J. Med. Genet. 25 775–782 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BiiD2szltl0%3D Occurrence Handle3789026

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. J Hrafnkelsson H Tulinius JG Jonasson et al. (1989) ArticleTitlePapillary thyroid carcinoma in Iceland: a study of the occurrence in families and the coexistence of other primary tumours Acta Oncol. 28 785–788 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:By%2BC383jt1Q%3D Occurrence Handle2611030

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. JL Kraimps MH Bouin-Pineau P Amati et al. (1997) ArticleTitleFamilial papillary carcinoma of the thyroid Surgery 121 715–718 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0039-6060(97)90063-5 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByiA3s%2FgtFI%3D Occurrence Handle9186475

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. F Leprat F Bonichon M Guyot et al. (1999) ArticleTitleFamilial non-medullary thyroid carcinoma: pathology review in 27 affected cases from 13 French families Clin. Endocrinol. (Oxf.) 50 589–594 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-2265.1999.00687.x Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1MvgsFWjtw%3D%3D

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. G Lupoli G Vitale M Caraglia et al. (1999) ArticleTitleFamilial papillary thyroid microcarcinoma: a new clinical entity Lancet 353 637–639 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0140-6736(98)08004-0 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1M7ltlCjsw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10030330

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. RF Grossman SH Tu QY Duh et al. (1995) ArticleTitleFamilial nonmedullary thyroid cancer: an emerging entity that warrants aggressive treatment Arch. Surg. 130 892–897 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByqA2MfmvFM%3D Occurrence Handle7632152

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. S Uchino S Noguchi H Kawamoto et al. (2002) ArticleTitleFamilial nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma characterized by multifocality and a high recurrence rate in a large study population World J. Surg. 26 897–902 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s00268-002-6615-y Occurrence Handle11965446

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. O Alsanea N Wada K Ain et al. (2000) ArticleTitleIs familial non-medullary thyroid carcinoma more aggressive than sporadic thyroid cancer? A multicenter series Surgery 128 1043–1050 Occurrence Handle10.1067/msy.2000.110848 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3M%2FnsFehtA%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11114641

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. H Miki H Inoue K Komaki et al. (1998) ArticleTitleValue of mass screening for thyroid cancer World J. Surg. 22 99–102 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s002689900356 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1c7is12itQ%3D%3D Occurrence Handle9465769

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. H Miki K Oshimo H Inoue et al. (1993) ArticleTitleIncidence of ultrasonographically-detected thyroid nodules in healthy adults Tokushima J. Exp. Med. 40 43–46 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByuD38voslc%3D Occurrence Handle8211979

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. WY Chung HS Chang EK Kim et al. (2001) ArticleTitleUltrasonographic mass screening for thyroid carcinoma: a study in women scheduled to undergo a breast examination Surg. Today 31 763–767 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s005950170044 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3MnhtF2hsQ%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11686552

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. RA Komorowski GA Hanson (1988) ArticleTitleOccult thyroid pathology in the young adult: an autopsy study of 138 patients without clinical thyroid disease Hum. Pathol. 19 689–696 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BieB2czhs1Y%3D Occurrence Handle3378788

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. L Bondeson O Ljungberg (1984) ArticleTitleOccult papillary thyroid carcinoma in the young and the aged Cancer 53 1790–1792 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BiuC38bpt10%3D Occurrence Handle6697317

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. N Neuhold H Kaiser K Kaserer (2001) ArticleTitleLatent carcinoma of the thyroid in Austria: a systematic autopsy study Endocr. Pathol. 12 23–31 Occurrence Handle10.1385/EP:12:1:23 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD38%2Fis1Skuw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11478265

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Y Yamamoto T Maeda K Izumi et al. (1990) ArticleTitleOccult papillary carcinoma of the thyroid: a study of 408 autopsy cases Cancer 65 1173–1179 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:By%2BC2M%2Fgtlc%3D Occurrence Handle2302665

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. H Yamashita S Noguchi S Watanabe et al. (1997) ArticleTitleThyroid cancer associated with adenomatous goiter: an analysis of the incidence and clinical factors Surg. Today 27 495–499 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByiH2M7lvFI%3D Occurrence Handle9306541

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Noguchi Thyroid Clinic and Hospital Foundation, 6-33 Noguchi Naka-machi, Beppu, 874-0932, Oita, Japan

    Shinya Uchino M.D., Ph.D., Shiro Noguchi M.D., Ph.D., Hiroyuki Yamashita M.D., Ph.D., Tsukasa Murakami M.D., Shin Watanabe M.D., Takahiro Ogawa M.D., Ph.D., Akiko Tsuno Ph.D. & Shigeru Shuto

Authors
  1. Shinya Uchino M.D., Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shiro Noguchi M.D., Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hiroyuki Yamashita M.D., Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tsukasa Murakami M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Shin Watanabe M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Takahiro Ogawa M.D., Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Akiko Tsuno Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Shigeru Shuto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shinya Uchino M.D., Ph.D..

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Uchino, S., Noguchi, S., Yamashita, H. et al. Detection of Asymptomatic Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma by Neck Ultrasonographic Screening for Familial Nonmedullary Thyroid Carcinoma . World J. Surg. 28, 1099–1102 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-004-7676-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-004-7676-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation