title: Papillary thyroid cancer in thalassaemia.
abstract: Thyroid cancer is the most frequent endocrine neoplasm in the general population. Its incidence is 5-10/100,000 per year, with an annual death rate of 0.2-1.2/100,000 in men and 0.4-2.8/100,000 in women. In thalassaemia patients the frequency of this disease is unknown. In this paper we describe five cases of papillary thyroid cancer in thalassaemia patients followed at the Day Hospital for Thalassaemia and Haemoglobinopathies, in Ferrara, Italy. We consider the possible key role of iron as a carcinogenic agent and we also discuss the practical implications of our clinical observations.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Reproduction and Growth, St. Anna Hospital, Corso Giovecca, Ferrara, Italy. mr.govoni@ospfe.it
authors.forename: Maria Rita
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Govoni
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sprocati
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fabbri
authors.forename: Nicolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zanforlin
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Sanctis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002277:Carcinoma; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007501:Iron