title: Increased incidence of papillary thyroid cancer among total thyroidectomies in Crete.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the increased incidence of papillary thyroid cancer as found in specimens of total thyroidectomies and potential correlation with etiological factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study on patients who underwent total thyroidectomy, from 1990 to 2004, in an academic tertiary referral medical center. Patients' records were placed in a database, which included medical condition, history, and demographics. Histopathological slides were reviewed with special focus on papillary cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our series consisted of 2379 patients. Thyroid cancer was confirmed in 354 patients (14.88%). Papillary carcinoma represented the most frequent type (316 patients, 89.26%). Increased incidence of papillary carcinomas was noticed after 1995, reaching the maximum value in the year 2000. After 2000, there was a descending trend and then a plateau.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased incidence of papillary thyroid cannot be attributed to dietary patterns or increased diagnostic and therapeutic activity. It is likely to be associated with increased radiation and may be associated with the Chernobyl fallout.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Emmanuel P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Prokopakis
authors.forename: Vassilios A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Lachanas
authors.forename: George A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Velegrakis
authors.forename: Dimitrios D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Tsiftsis
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moschandreas
authors.forename: Georgios E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Chalkiadakis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013965:Thyroidectomy