Analysis of pattern of occurrence of thyroid carcinoma between 2001 and 2010.
BACKGROUND
An ongoing discussion is found in medical literature about the reasons for changes in thyroid carcinoma incidence patterns over the last decades.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the clinical and pathological characteristics of thyroid carcinoma cases over a decade.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study over an historical cohort. Medical records of 628 thyroid cancer cases in a single center were reviewed. 597 patients were included. Microcarcinoma cases were selected for a qualitative analysis phase, in which medical records were reviewed for better understanding of thyroid nodule and thyroid cancer diagnosis process.


RESULTS
An increase in the proportion of cases with thyroid cancer diagnosis was observed throughout the decade; new cases were predominantly tumors of less than 2 cm, with histopathological signs of low aggressiveness. There was an increase in proportion of cases with malignant cytological results among microcarcinomas.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a trend for increase in thyroidectomies due to cancer in this institution, with proportional increment of cases with histopathological characteristics indicative of early disease. Among microcarcinomas, there is an increasing group represented by cancer cases that were not incidentally diagnosed, related to an enhancement in preoperative diagnostic methods.
Head and Neck Surgery Department, Hospital Santa Rita, Complexo Hospitalar Santa Casa, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: fabiomgirardi@gmail.com.
Fábio Muradás
FM
Girardi
Pathology Department, Hospital Santa Rita, Complexo Hospitalar Santa Casa, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Marinez Bizarro
MB
Barra
Pathology Department, Hospital Santa Rita, Complexo Hospitalar Santa Casa, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Cláudio Galleano
CG
Zettler
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
Carcinoma papilar; Epidemiologia; Epidemiology; Incidence; Incidência; Neoplasias da glândula tireoide; Nódulo da glândula tireoide; Papillary carcinoma; Thyroid neoplasms; Thyroid nodule