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Prevalence of breast cancer in thyroid diseases: results of a cross-sectional study of 3,921 patients

  • Epidemiology
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Abstract

Results from national cancer registries reveal an association of thyroid cancers with extra-thyroidal malignancies. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of breast cancer (BC) in women affected by both benign and malignant thyroid diseases (TD) in comparison to the general population. To this end, 3,921 female patients from central and southern regions of Italy were evaluated. Age-matched analysis of the prevalence of BC was carried out after dividing the patients into three diagnostic categories: (1) 1,149 patients with non-nodular TD; (2) 2350 patients with nodular TD; (3) 422 patients affected by differentiated thyroid cancers. Furthermore, the patients were grouped according to the absence (2,344 patients) or presence (1,453 patients) of anti-thyroglobulin (TgAb) and/or anti-thyroperoxidase (TPOAb) or anti-TSH receptor auto-antibodies (124 patients). BC prevalence in TD patients as a whole was significantly higher compared to the general population, with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.33. Age-matched analysis showed that the risk of a BC in TD patients was higher in younger patients (age 0–44 years), with an OR of 15.24, which decreased with increasing age. Patients without thyroid auto-antibodies showed a higher OR for BC (p = 0.0005) than TD patients with TgAb and/or TPOAb. The results demonstrate that women affected by either benign or malignant thyroid disease have a significantly greater risk of BC, which is higher at a younger age. Furthermore, thyroid auto-antibodies appear to be protective against BC. These findings may contribute to the identification of common genetic and environmental factors underlying this disease association.

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Abbreviations

AbTg:

Anti-thyroglobulin antibodies

AbTPO:

Anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies

AITD:

Autoimmune thyroid disease

BC:

Breast cancer

DTC:

Differentiated thyroid cancer

FTC:

Follicular thyroid carcinoma

EM:

Extra-thyroidal malignancies

NIS:

Natrium/iodide symporter

OR:

Odds ratio

PTC:

Papillary thyroid carcinoma

TD:

Thyroid disease

TH:

Thyroid hormone

TSHRAb:

TSH receptor antibodies

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethical standards

The experimental approaches used in the present manuscript comply with the current law of Italy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 155, 00161, Rome, Italy

    Natalie Prinzi, Enke Baldini, Chiara Tuccilli, Carmela Coccaro, Angela Nesca, Marta Bianchini, Massimino D’Armiento & Salvatore Ulisse

  2. Department of Surgical Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Salvatore Sorrenti, Antonio Catania, Sabino Carbotta, Renzo Mocini & Enrico De Antoni

  3. Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Corrado De Vito

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  1. Natalie Prinzi
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  2. Enke Baldini
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Correspondence to Salvatore Ulisse.

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Prinzi, N., Baldini, E., Sorrenti, S. et al. Prevalence of breast cancer in thyroid diseases: results of a cross-sectional study of 3,921 patients. Breast Cancer Res Treat 144, 683–688 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-014-2893-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-014-2893-y

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