Rates of unsuspected thyroid cancer in multinodular thyroid disease

Abstract

Background: Previously the risk of concomitant thyroid cancer in multinodular goitre (MNG) has been reported as approximately 4%. Cancer risk in toxic MNG was often considered lower than for non-toxic MNG, due to a possible protective effect of TSH suppression. However, recent American data suggest an approximately 18% risk of occult malignancy in both toxic and non-toxic MNG.

Aims: To assess malignancy risk in a New Zealand population undergoing thyroidectomy for MNG.

Methods: Single-centre study of patients undergoing thyroidectomy for MNG from 1 December 2006 to 30 November 2016.

Results: Six hundred and two patients underwent surgery for MNG (448 non-toxic and 154 toxic). Of these, 95/602 (16%) had thyroid cancer. After excluding patients operated for preoperative suspicion for cancer, 30/401 (8%) patients with non-toxic MNG and 15/151 (10%) with toxic MNG had unsuspected or occult thyroid cancer (p=0.358). Patients with toxic MNG were less likely to undergo preoperative fine needle aspiration than those with non-toxic MNG (34% vs 52%, respectively p=0.0001). Two-thirds of unsuspected thyroid cancers were incidental micropapillary carcinomas and unlikely to alter survival irrespective of therapy.

Conclusion: Malignancy rates in MNG are higher than historically reported, although most unsuspected cancers are unlikely to alter mortality even if diagnosis is delayed.