Is Hashimotos thyroiditis a risk factor for papillary thyroid cancer?
GROUND: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is the most common cause of hypothyroidism and is characterized by gradual autoimmune mediated thyroid failure with occasional goiter development. HT is seven times more likely to occur in women than in men. Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), the most prevalent form of cancer in the thyroid, is 2.5 times more likely to develop in women than men. Given the relatively high prevalence of these diseases and the increased occurrence in women, we analyzed data from our institution to determine if there is a correlation between Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and PTC in women. METHODS: From May 1994 to January 2007, 1198 patients underwent thyroid surgery at our institution. Of these, 217 patients were diagnosed with HT (196 women, 21 men). The data from these patients were statistically analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: PTC occurred in 63 of 217 (29%) HT patients and 230 of 981 (23%) patients without HT (P = 0.051). Of these groups, 41 (65%) and 158 (69%) patients, resp
