Studying the potential association between autoimmune thyroiditis and thyroid cancers

ABSTRACT İntroduction: Thyroid cancers especially Papillary Thyroid Cancer are the most common endocrine cancer and is seen in rate 1-2% of total cancers. İn this study comparing the association between Autoimmune Thyroiditis and Thyroid Malignancies was intended. Methods: İn this study 966 patient were researched by examing of imaging, clinic and laboratory data since January 2014 until January 2016 in the Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinic in the Dokuz Eylul University Hospital in İzmir. Autoimmune Thyroid diseases results and thyroid biyopsy or thyroidectomy surgical pathology's benign/malign results were compared with fT4, TSH, Anti-TPO, Anti-TG, MNG, dominant nodule diameter, echogenicity, border features, calcifications, presence of cyst, sex and age. Results: From the total 966 patient whose thyroid biyopsy was made, 764 patient was female (79.1%) and 202 patient was male (20.9%). Patients' minimum age was 18, maximum age was 89, average age was 52.16 ± (12.91), 89% of total patient was benign and 11% was malign. 71% of total patient didn't have Autoimmune Thyroiditis and 29% patient had Autoimmune Thyroiditis. The patients with thyroid malignancy had higher TSH values (t=-2.00, p=0.04) and bigger dominant nodule (t= -3.07, p=0.01) and they were younger (t=-5.32,p=0.01) according to the benign patients . The patients with thyroid malignancy had more malign calcifications in their nodules according to patients with benign thyroid disease (x2=9.76,p=0.01). The patients who had Autoimmune Thyroiditis have higher measurement of TSH (t= -5.17, p=0.01), ATG (t= -7.14, p=0.01) and ATPO (t= -18.88,p=0.01), they were mostly female patients (X2=11,40, p=0,01) and they were hypothyroid. The number of patients with Autoimmune Thyroiditis had fine cysts in their nodules (X2=6,20, p=0,01) and they have had internal structure cysts in the dominant nodules (X2=13,10, p=0,01). İt was detected that the patients with benign or malign thyroid disease and Autoimmune Thyroiditis were in the similar rate (X2=1,23, p=0,31). Conclusion: The patients who had thyroid malignity had much higher measurement of TSH, they had bigger thyroid nodule in diameter and malign calcifications in their nodules according to the other patients. The number of female patients with Autoimmune Thyroiditis who had fine cysts with internal structure in their dominant nodules was much more than the other patients. As the matter of our research it was detected that there was no association between Autoimmune Thyroiditis and Thyroid Cancers. Key Words: Thyroid Nodules, Thyroid Cancers, Autoimmune Thyroiditis