April - June 2009, Volume 5, Issue 2

Szanto Z, Kun IZ, Borda A, Jung J

Thyroid cancer in two representative medical centers in Mures County between 1984-2007

Acta Endo (Buc) 2009, 5 (2): 199-211
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2009.199

Aim: to evaluate the epidemiology of thyroid cancer (including their different forms)\r\nin two representative medical centers of Mure? County during 1984-2007 under the impact of\r\npossible regional risk factors: ionized radiation from Chernobyl, mild/ moderate iodine\r\ndeficiency (before 2003) and universal iodization of alimentary salt (from 2004).\r\nMethods: In our retrospective study we analysed the data of 288 patients diagnosed\r\nwith thyroid cancer in Endocrinology Clinic and Institute of Pathology T?rgu Mure? in this\r\nperiod. During 1984-1991 the incidence of thyroid cancer did not change practically, it began\r\nto increase progressively from 1992. This first significant elevation between 1992-1999 was\r\nassigned mainly to the newly appeared papillary thyroid carcinomas. Between 2000-2007 a\r\nsecond ascending wave in thyroid cancer incidence was recorded, with a progressively\r\nincreasing tendency.\r\nResults: The incidence was significantly higher compared to 1992-1999 (p<0.0001,\r\nRR=2.05, 95% CI=1.59 - 2.64). This second increase may be assigned, besides the radiation\r\nexposure, to the extension of diagnostic methods (thyroid ultrasonography from 1998 and\r\nfine-needle aspiration cytology from 2000). While before 1991 there were not found thyroid\r\ncancers in children in our county, during 1991-2006 there were registered 10 cases (most in\r\nthe first period): 7 papillary, 2 follicular and one papillary form associated with insular\r\ncarcinoma.\r\nConclusion: the universal iodine prophylaxis (applied from 2004) might influence the\r\ntype of thyroid cancers, increasing the papillary/follicular carcinoma ratio.

Keywords: thyroid cancer, Chernobyl, ionized radiation, iodine-deficient area,\r\nuniversal iodine-prophylaxis

Correspondence: Professor Imre Zoltan Kun, Endocrinology Department, University of Medicine\r\nand Pharmacy, Gh. Marinescu Street 38, T?rgu-Mure?, Romania, e-mail: kunimre@rdslink.ro