Parity and risk of thyroid cancer: a nested case-control study of a nationwide Swedish cohort.
The association between parity and risk of thyroid cancer was examined in a case-control study nested within a cohort of Swedish women born 1925-60. A total of 1,409 cases of thyroid cancer were compared with 7,019 age-matched controls. Odds ratios (OR) and 95 percent confidence intervals (CI) were calculated as estimates of relative risk. A weak association was found between parity and risk of thyroid cancer (OR for ever-parous women cf nulliparous was 1.1, CI = 1.0-1.3). For the subset of papillary cancers, there was a significantly increased risk (OR for ever-parous cf nulliparous = 1.3, CI = 1.0-1.6), and among women diagnosed at the age of 50 or older, there was a positive linear trend with increasing number of livebirths. Women during the first year after a livebirth had an increased risk of thyroid cancer compared with women who delivered 10 or more years before; this association was most prominent among uniparous women (OR = 2.5, CI = 1.1-5.9). An increased risk was also apparent for age over 20 years at livebirth (among uniparous women) and age over 25 years at last livebirth (among multiparous women). A negligible effect of parity on thyroid cancer risk was seen, but each livebirth may have a short-term and age-dependent promoting effect.
Galanti
M R
MR
Department of Cancer Epidemiology, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
Lambe
M
M
Ekbom
A
A
Sparén
P
P
Pettersson
B
B
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000231:Adenocarcinoma, Papillary / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016015:Logistic Models; D008423:Maternal Age; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*