title: Prevalence of breast cancer in thyroid diseases: results of a cross-sectional study of 3,921 patients.
abstract: Results from national cancer registries reveal an association of thyroid cancers with extra-thyroidal malignancies. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of breast cancer (BC) in women affected by both benign and malignant thyroid diseases (TD) in comparison to the general population. To this end, 3,921 female patients from central and southern regions of Italy were evaluated. Age-matched analysis of the prevalence of BC was carried out after dividing the patients into three diagnostic categories: (1) 1,149 patients with non-nodular TD; (2) 2350 patients with nodular TD; (3) 422 patients affected by differentiated thyroid cancers. Furthermore, the patients were grouped according to the absence (2,344 patients) or presence (1,453 patients) of anti-thyroglobulin (TgAb) and/or anti-thyroperoxidase (TPOAb) or anti-TSH receptor auto-antibodies (124 patients). BC prevalence in TD patients as a whole was significantly higher compared to the general population, with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.33. Age-matched analysis showed that the risk of a BC in TD patients was higher in younger patients (age 0-44 years), with an OR of 15.24, which decreased with increasing age. Patients without thyroid auto-antibodies showed a higher OR for BC (p = 0.0005) than TD patients with TgAb and/or TPOAb. The results demonstrate that women affected by either benign or malignant thyroid disease have a significantly greater risk of BC, which is higher at a younger age. Furthermore, thyroid auto-antibodies appear to be protective against BC. These findings may contribute to the identification of common genetic and environmental factors underlying this disease association.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Prinzi
authors.forename: Enke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baldini
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sorrenti
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Vito
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tuccilli
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catania
authors.forename: Sabino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carbotta
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mocini
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coccaro
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nesca
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bianchini
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Antoni
authors.forename: Massimino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Armiento
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ulisse
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies