Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells
Published on: October 27, 2020
Rosiglitazone may reduce thyroid cancer risk in patients with type 2 diabetes
1Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine , Taipei , Taiwan , Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital , Taipei , Taiwan , and Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine of the National Health Research Institutes , Taipei , Taiwan.
Background:
Whether rosiglitazone use in patients with type 2 diabetes may affect thyroid cancer risk has not been investigated.
Methods:
The reimbursement databases of all diabetic patients under oral anti-diabetic agents or insulin from 1996 to 2009 were retrieved from the National Health Insurance of Taiwan. An entry date was set at 1 January 2006, and 887,665 patients with type 2 diabetes were followed for thyroid cancer incidence until the end of 2009 for ever-users, never-users, and subgroups of rosiglitazone exposure using tertile cut-offs for time since starting rosiglitazone, duration of therapy, and cumulative dose. Hazard ratios were estimated by Cox regression.
Results:
There were 103,224 ever-users and 784,441 never-users, with respective numbers of incident thyroid cancer of 84 (0.08%) and 764 (0.10%), and respective incidence of 23.12 and 28.09 per 100,000 person-years. The overall multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio was not significant. However, in dose-response analyses, the adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) were significant for the third tertile of duration of therapy (≥ 14 months) and cumulative dose (≥ 1,800 mg) for age ≥ 50 years: 0.53 (0.31-0.89) and 0.50 (0.29-0.87), respectively.
Conclusions:
This study suggests that rosiglitazone use in patients with type 2 diabetes may reduce the risk of thyroid cancer.
Related Concept Videos
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: Biguanides and Glitazones
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: α-Glucosidase Inhibitors
Acarbose and miglitol are...
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: Sulfonylureas
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: Glinides
Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Inhibitors
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
