Lack of Influence of Pregnancy on the Prognosis of Survivors of Thyroid Cancer

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of pregnancy on prognosis of thyroid cancer. Methods: A total of 72 patients aged between 15-45 years who underwent total or subtotal thyroidectomy and subsequently radioablation were followed up under suppression. Individuals who had term pregnancies after diagnosis of cancer (group 1, n: 36) and who were non-pregnant (group 2, n:36) were included in the study. Both groups were compared in terms of scintigraphic relapse and metastasis, ultrasonographic relapse, stage change of lympadenopathy at the beginning and at the end of the study. Results: Relapse was detected in 4 out of 36 pregnant patients (11.1%) and in 5 out of 36 non-pregnant patients (13.9%) with no significant difference between groups (p=1.00). Pathologic lymphadenopathy was detected in 2 out of 36 pregnant patients (5.6%) and in 2 out of 36 non-pregnant patients (5.6%) (p=1.00), and metastasis in 3 (8.3%) and in 1 (2.8%), respectively (p=0.61). While stage change was detected in only one pregnant patient (2.8%), and none of the non-pregnant again there was no significant difference (p=1.00). Conclusions: We conclude that pregnancy does not have an influence on prognosis of thyroid cancer.

Metastatic Papillary Thyroid Cancer Diagnosed and Treated during Pregnancy

“…Of thyroid malignancies seen in women at reproduction period, 65% are PTC, 30% are follicular, 3% are medullary thyroid cancers. Ten percent of all PTC cases occur at pregnancy or at early period after pregnancy (3,4).…”

“…The approach to thyroid cancers diagnosed at pregnancy is open to dispute. It can be said that pregnancy generally do not affect the prognosis of PTC; surgery can be postponed to be performed after the pregnancy period in thyroid cancer cases without spread, especially in ones diagnosed in the period after the second half of pregnancy; and complications and hospital costs are higher and duration of hospitalization is longer in surgery performed during pregnancy (4,(6)(7)(8)(9). On the other hand, there are some studies reporting that pregnancy accelerates the spread of PTC with hormonal effects and PTC seen during pregnancy has a worse prognosis (2, 10, 11).…”

A review on thyroid cancer during pregnancy: Multitasking is required

“…Another question is the effect of pregnancy on previously treated patient with DTC; a retrospective study done on 72 patients previously treated with thyroidectomy and radio-active iodine ablation was done; 36 of the study population got pregnant after treatment and 36 were non-pregnant; and the outcomes of treatment and the prognosis (in terms of scintigraphic relapse and metastasis, ultrasonographic relapse, lymphadenopathy and stage change at the beginning and at the end of follow-up) were not compromised with pregnancy [29] . This comes in partial agreement with previously published study by Hirsch et al [30] .…”

Consideration of Serum Thyrotropin When Interpreting Serum Thyroglobulin Level in Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

“…1,2) This outcome has been ensured by increased diagnostic scrutiny. However, the DTC recurrence rate is 10-30%, and the potential for reappearance after several years 3,4) indicates the need for prolonged follow-up.…”