Renija Valiya Thazhath1, Lakshmanan Puthiya Purayil2, Anilakumari Valiya Purayil3
BACKGROUND
Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumour in women worldwide. The relationship between breast cancer and thyroid disease is a controversy. Many of the studies showed hypothyroidism as the commonly found thyroid abnormality in breast cancer.[1] There is considerable evidence for an increased risk of thyroid and breast cancer in patients with iodine deficiency. This ability of iodine to reduce the risk of breast cancer is attributed to the ability of iodine and its compounds to induce apoptosis so that appropriate cell death occurs. Instead, in the absence of optimum level of iodine in the body the transformed cells continue to grow and divide resulting in cancer.
AIMS
1. To find out the association of thyroid hormones and breast cancer in early breast cancer patients.
2. To find out the association of thyroid peroxidase antibodies in early breast cancer patients.
Settings
Cases: 82 breast cancer patients in early stage who attended the breast clinic.
Controls: 82 age matched controls (Between 25-80 years).
Design: Case control study.
MATERIALS AND METHOD
In this study, investigated for thyroid function test (T3, T4, TSH) and thyroid peroxide antibody level in 82 early breast cancer patients.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
SPSS 16.
RESULTS
Statistically significant low T4 and high TSH in breast cancer patients, along with elevated thyroid peroxidase antibody.
CONCLUSION
Compared to hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism was found to be clinically significant in breast cancer patients.
