Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The relation of hypothyroidism with the breast cancer is described early in the literature based in some common pathophysiological paths which associate thyroid gland and breast tissue.

Methods: A literature research in PubMed and Cochrane library database was performed for articles studying any possible association between the risk for development of breast cancer with the presence of hypothyroidism history in women.

Results: Seven out of the 11 included studies showed no significant relation of the history of hypothyroidism to the risk for breast cancer. Four studies showed a relation between the history of hypothyroidism and the risk for breast cancer. In one of them the history of hypothyroidism was related significantly with an increased risk for breast cancer. In another one only the non treated hypothyroidism was related significantly to the risk for breast cancer.

Conclusions: The majority of the included studies showed that the history of hypothyroidism is not related significantly to an increased risk for breast cancer. However there are many contradictory findings particularly as far as the association of the treatment of replacement of thyroid hormones with the risk for breast cancer.