Enhertu Approved for Lung Cancer
Low-Risk Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Linked To Low Mortality Rate
All-cause mortality rates are lower among patients with low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) compared with the general population, according to study findings published in Thyroid.
Previous research findings support an excellent prognosis among survivors of DTC compared with other adult cancers. However, evidence of second malignancies and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is conflicting.
To assess up-to-date mortality trends, researchers sourced data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) Program. Patients (N=51,854) with a first primary cancer diagnosis of DTC between 1992 and 2019 and low risk for recurrence were evaluated for all-cause and cause-specific mortality.
The study included 51,854 patients, of whom 81.8% were women, 25.1% were aged between 45 and 54 years, 79.9% were White, 92.9% had papillary thyroid cancer, and 47.0% had a tumor size of 1 cm at most. The patients had undergone total thyroidectomy with no or unknown radiation (44.0%), total thyroidectomy with radioactive iodine treatment (31.7%), lobectomy with no or unknown radiation (18.7%), other treatment (4.3%), or no treatment (1.3%).
During a median follow-up of 8.8 years, 6.7% of patients died. The deaths occurred due to non-thyroid malignancy (29.7%), CVD (26.3%), thyroid cancer (4.3%), and accidents or adverse effects (4.3%).
The cumulative all-cause mortality rates were 2.2%, 5.4%, 9.7%, and 14.9% at 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-years post-DTC diagnosis, respectively. The cumulative mortality rate from thyroid cancer was 0.6% at 20 years.
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[W]e found that low-risk DTC patients experienced low rates of mortality overall and from the top three causes of death in this population (CVD, solid malignancies [other than thyroid or [non-melanoma skin cancer]], and thyroid cancer).
Compared with the matched general population of the US, patients with low-risk DTC had lower mortality overall (standardized mortality ratio [SMR], 0.69; 95% CI, 0.67-0.71) and due to:
Conversely, the patients with DTC had higher rates of mortality from:
Starting at 10 years post-DTC diagnosis, patients with DTC vs the general population had higher rates of mortality from myeloma (SMR, 2.35), kidney and renal pelvis cancers (SMR, 1.85), hematologic cancers (SMR, 1.65), leukemia (SMR, 1.62), brain and other nervous system cancers (SMR, 1.62), and pancreas cancers (SMR, 1.58).
The researchers also noted an association between radioactive iodine treatment and risk for mortality caused by diseases of the heart (relative risk, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.66-0.99).
Study limitations include the short follow-up duration, the discrepancy between the study population median age and the general population median age, and potential misclassifications of death causes.
The researchers concluded, "[W]e found that low-risk DTC patients experienced low rates of mortality overall and from the top three causes of death in this population (CVD, solid malignancies [other than thyroid or [non-melanoma skin cancer]], and thyroid cancer)."
Five Red Flag Symptoms Of Killer Cancer That Could Be Ignored 'for Years'
Thyroid cancer: Know the symptomsCancer is a serious and potentially deadly disease that occurs when abnormal cells grow and divide uncontrollably. They can then spread to other tissues and organs.
There are more than 200 types of cancer that can affect the body. Some are more well known than others with their symptoms easier to spot.
One specific type of cancer falls into the lesser-known category, with people urged to look out for any of its warning signs. According to the NHS, thyroid cancer is a rare form of cancer, accounting for less than one percent of all cancer cases in the UK.
It can be hard to know whether you have it or not. Many symptoms of thyroid cancer are vague and may resemble other less-serious conditions, meaning it's possible you could have thyroid cancer for months or even years without knowing it.
The thyroid gland is a small gland found in the neck, just in front of the windpipe. One of its main jobs is to create the hormones that help regulate the body's metabolism, which is the process of turning food into energy.
Thyroid cancer develops in the thyroid gland. For this reason the most common symptoms of the disease affect the neck and throat, such as finding a lump there or having difficulty swallowing.
But these signs could be easily mistaken for something else or ignored.
The MD Anderson Cancer Centre notes that patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer, the main type of thyroid cancer, "often have symptoms that they dismiss for years" until receiving a diagnosis.
And a study, by the University of Aberdeen, found it takes an average of four and a half years for any thyroid type of condition to be diagnosed.
The NHS states that the cancer is quite rare and typically affects women more than men.
Women are two to three times more likely to develop thyroid cancer than men. It's unclear why this is, but it may be a result of the hormonal changes associated with the female reproductive system.
The most common symptoms include:
Other symptoms can include:
If you experience any symptoms you should speak to your GP.
You usually have several tests to check for thyroid cancer. If you have cancer these tests can also help your doctor decide what treatment you need.
These tests include:
Your type of thyroid cancer depends on the type of cell the cancer starts in.
There are different types of thyroid cancer including:
It is not always clear why someone gets thyroid cancer.
However, your risk can be increased if:
Experts Raise Awareness About Thyroid Disease
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – According to the American Thyroid Association, an estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease and data from the American Cancer Society indicates that just over 44,000 Americans will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer this year.
For most of her life, Debbie Eldridge struggled with her weight.
"Up and down often and I tried every fad diet out there and never stayed committed because those are hard to stick to for long periods of time," she said.
When the scale hit 300, Debbie became driven.
By cutting back on calories and upping her exercise, she lost 180 pounds.
I felt like I'd worked so hard, was at the top of my health, like I can do anything," Eldredge said.
She was feeling better than ever, then came an unexpected diagnosis: thyroid cancer.
"It was such a gut punch. I was so scared because I'd never had a major illness. I'd never been in the hospital except to have my kids and I'd never had a surgery except for a c-section in 1984 and I was like 'What's happening?'", she said.
Eldredge turned to Broward Health endocrinologist Dr. Elys Perez.
"Thyroid cancer has become more common over the years, and I think that has to do with probably our ability to identify these tumors way sooner," Perez said.
Statistics show that thyroid cancer affects women more than men and many women also suffer from under-active or over-active thyroid function.
"The thyroid is a gland that sits at the base of the neck and it's responsible for many body functions, so it controls metabolism, it controls how slow or how fast your body is reacting, so everything from weight gain to weight loss to energy levels to a multitude of things," Perez said.
She said medications can help manage under or overactive thyroid function and added that thyroid cancer patients typically do well following surgery.
"So, a lot of patients are doing better with less aggressive treatments nowadays," Perez said.
Within a week of surgery, Eldredge was back at work and feeling great again.
"I feel like I got my sparkle back. I'm a firecracker again and I'm ready to take on the world," she said.
Eldredge credits her quick recovery with early diagnosis, due, in part, to her annual physical.
She hopes her story will encourage others to keep those yearly appointments.
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