title: Incidence of cancer in nodular goitres.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nodular goitres occur commonly in the population and this paper aims to determine the incidence of thyroid cancer found in these goitres.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective, consecutive analysis of the histology of 268 nodular goitres that had been operated on, from 2002 to 2004, in a single tertiary hospital in Singapore.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-seven goitres (21.2%) with multiple nodules were found to contain a malignancy. Forty-four thyroid cancers (77%) were of the papillary type. The mean age of presentation for benign nodular goitres was 47.9 years. The mean age of presentation for malignant thyroid tumours was 49.25 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of cancer is significant in nodular goitres and these malignant tumours are usually of the papillary type.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Changi General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Hee-Nee
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Chung-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D005260:Female; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010338:Pathology, Clinical; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography