According to a story from Healio, a recent study determined that adults living with Graves’ disease who were being treated with antithyroid medications will have an elevated risk of developing certain forms of cancer when compared to the overall population. The cancer types involved include thyroid cancer, ovarian cancer, biliary tract cancer, prostate cancer, and pancreatic cancer.
The study utilized data from 29,502 adult patients obtained from the National Health Database of South Korea. They were all at least 20 years old, received a Graves’ disease diagnosis from 2005 to 2012, and had undergone treatment with antithyroid drugs for over 60 days. They were measured against a control group without the illness comprised of 57,173 adults.
At a mean follow-up time of 12.4 years, 9.7% of people in the control group received a cancer diagnosis while 16.5% of patients did. In multivariable analysis, Graves’ disease patients had a greater risk of developing the types of cancer previously mentioned. A further sensitivity analysis, which excluded the first follow-up year, continued to indicate that patients saw an elevated risk of cancer. The same was true after 5+ years of follow-up.
The researchers note that the results might not be fully applicable to global populations as it only used data from South Koreans. They call on further research focused on populations exposed to other environmental factors and genetics.
About Graves’ Disease
Graves’ disease, sometimes called toxic diffuse goiter, is an uncommon autoimmune disease which impacts the thyroid gland, which plays a role in the secretion of certain hormones. It typically results in hyperthyroidism and is believed to be the most common cause. The origins of Graves’ disease is not well understood; however, some people are genetically susceptible to the illness; in these people, the disease is likely brought on by an environmental trigger, such as bacterial or viral infections. Women are more likely to develop the disease than men. Symptoms of Graves’ disease include sudden weight loss, thyroid eye disease, hair loss, tremors, diarrhea, heat intolerance, insomnia, excessive sweat, itching, increased appetite, and heart abnormalities. Treatments for the disease include radioiodine, antithyroid medications, and surgical removal of the thyroid. To learn more about Graves’ disease, click here.
