The role of Graves’ disease in the development of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer
Authors' conclusion
Patients with Graves' disease had a high prevalence of thyroid nodules and their nodules had a significant risk of thyroid cancer. The risk was higher in those with multiple and larger nodules. Most had low-grade papillary thyroid cancer. More studies are needed to clarify the clinical relevance of these findings.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with GD (positive TRAb), 2017–2021, single centre
- Participants
- 539 adults
- Outcome
- Prevalence of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer
Methodological detailsobservational, single-centre
- Observational
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
median follow-up 3.3 years (25th-75th percentiles 1.5-5.2 years)
Thyroid nodules
53%
Thyroid cancer
18
3.3%
Papillary microcarcinomas
12
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Thyroid cancer characteristics
- Papillary microcarcinomas
- 12
- Lymph node metastasis
- only one
- All tumours TNM T1
- No recordings of distant metastasis
Factors in patients with vs without thyroid cancer
- Sex, age, BMI, smoking, TSH and thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAbs) levels not significantly different between patients with and without thyroid cancer
Predictors of thyroid cancer diagnosis
- Multiple nodules on US: greater risk of thyroid cancer (OR, 95% CI)
- OR 1.61, 95%CI 1.04-2.49
- Larger nodules, per 10 mm increase in size: greater risk of thyroid cancer (OR, 95% CI)
- OR 2.96, 95%CI 1.08-8.14
Original publication
The role of Graves’ disease in the development of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. Eur Thyroid J. Published 12 July 2023. doi:10.
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