Endocrine Abstracts

Thyroid cancer is the most frequent endocrine cancer. Its incidence has been found to increase in recent years. Additionally, environmental factors, which may be implicated in the pathogenesis of thyroid disorders, such as iodine deficiency and salt iodine supplementation are changing and may have an impact on the epidemiology of thyroid cancer. The aim was to study the epidemiology of thyroid within a center of excellence in Athens in the modern world setting. A cohort of 63 patients, aged 46.3±1.77 (mean±S.E.M), range 16–81 years with thyroid cancer was studied. The histology of the cancer was recorded. The histological subtypes of papillary thyroid cancer were evaluated and recorded. Within a cohort of 63 patients with thyroid cancer 60 were found to have papillary thyroid cancer, three were found to have follicular thyroid cancer, one was found to have a mixed medullary follicular-derived thyroid cancer and one was found to have a B cell lymphoma of the thyroid. Within the group of the patients with papillary thyroid cancer, 39 (67.24%) were found to have papillary, 19 (32.8%) were found to have the follicular variant of papillary thyroid cancer, 1 (1.72%) had encapsulated papillary thyroid carcinoma, and 1 (1.72%) was found to have the tall cell variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma. It appears that in the modern world setting within a center of excellence in Athens papillary thyroid cancer was the commonest type. Although papillary thyroid cancer and the follicular variant of papillary thyroid cancer were the commonest forms of thyroid cancer recorded, more aggressive types of thyroid cancer such as the tall cell variant were also recorded.