Endocrine Abstracts

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is more frequent in women than in men.

The aim of the study was to analyze whether factors connected with the female sex could increase the risk of DTC.

Material and methods: Ninety nine patients with a mean age±S.D. of 40.5±5.9 years with DTC and 51 healthy women with a mean age of 36.52±8.3 years were examined. Gynecological and obstetric histories were taken and serum estradiol and progesterone levels were analyzed in all women.

Results: Patients with DTC had more frequent menstrual cycle disturbances, used hormone-containing medicines more frequently, were multiparous more frequently, had spontaneous miscarriages more frequently, and their duration of lactation was significantly shorter than in controls. The mean serum estradiol level±S.D. in women with DTC was significantly higher than in the controls, in the follicular phase 193.74±66.31 vs 157.63±42.88 pmol/l and in the luteal phase 519±176.9 vs 369±71.49 pmol/l. The mean serum progesterone level ±S.D. was higher in the controls than in DTC patients in the follicular phase: 2.11±0.70 vs 1.38±0.56 nmol/l, in the luteal phase 20.95±17.46 vs 17.31±12.28 nmol/l.

Conclusions: The results of these studies imply that multiparity and gynecological or obstetric disorders connected with excessive activity in endogenous or exogenous estrogens were more frequently observed in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer than in healthy ones. The female sex hormones probably intensify the actions of other carcinogens as well.