High incidence of thyroid cancer among patients with acromegaly.
OBJECTIVE
Several studies have suggested that patients with acromegaly have an increased risk of thyroid, colorectal, breast and prostate cancers. In this study we determined the prevalence of malignant neoplasms in patients with acromegaly.


METHODS
Cancer risk was evaluated in a cohort of 110 patients (M/F 48/62, age 58.63±13.8 years, range 30-86) with acromegaly. Mean age at diagnosis of acromegaly was 46.37±13.11 years. Mean period of time since diagnosis of acromegaly was 12.26+9.6 years.


RESULTS
From 110 patients, cancer was diagnosed in 26 (23.6%) patients. Thyroid cancer was the most common cancer and was diagnosed in 13 patients (11.8%); other cancers encountered were gastric cancer (N=2), endometrial cancer (N-2), and breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer (N-2), myelodysplastic syndrome, renal cell carcinoma, lung cancer and pancreatic carcinoma, one case each. Age, gender, age at the time of diagnosis of acromegaly, tumor size of pituitary adenoma and duration of disease were not associated with cancer development.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that patients with acromegaly have an increased risk of thyroid cancer and therefore they should undergo regular screening with hormonal and ultrasound evaluation of the thyroid and FNAB when required.
Third Department of Internal Medicine, University of Athens, Sotiria General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Dimitrios
D
Kaldrymidis
Georgios
G
Papadakis
Georgios
G
Tsakonas
Philippos
P
Kaldrymidis
Theofanis
T
Flaskas
Andreas
A
Seretis
Eleni
E
Pantazi
Ifigenia
I
Kostoglou-Athanassiou
Melpomeni
M
Peppa
Paraskevi
P
Roussou
Evanthia
E
Diamanti-Kandarakis
D000172:Acromegaly / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012306:Risk; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology